Our Love in the Pages of History
by Siren Will
Summary: There was another death in Hogwarts that was cloaked with secrecy, but unlike Myrtle, hers was unspoken for. Her shocking death was followed by a long pattern of unanswered questions whose solution laid within a mausoleum.TR&HG/OC Fullsummaryinmyprofile!
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey everybody!! I haven't been here for such a long time, too long to be exact.. well this story has been rewritten so many times because I can never get it right but now I'm sticking with it, and I'm giving you my word for it, I PROMISE. I want to reach the end of this story so much because I can never erase it from my head, i have too many twist and turns and so many good bits that i just want to get across to you guys out there and plus even if i want it out of my head, it won't go away no matter what I do!**

**Alright, this fanfiction is gonna occur the same time as the last book, I'm not gonna completely follow the last book but maybe I'll add some bits and pieces into this one. Can I just warn you that this story will get so mind twisting later on in the coming chapters. If you don't like mind puzzling stories then thats alright I'm not forcing you to read but i'll encourage you because I promise that the ending will be worth it. But if you love jigsaw puzzles then this story is definitely for you.**

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**OLitPoH**

**I**

Heart thumping, feet galloping and the roaring thunder that all seemed to go in a perfect rhythm awakened the sleeping metal guards of the Corridor of Armours. Tom darted across the narrow path with haste; he saw no breathing figure, no pair of curious eyes in sight, not even the dying flame of a candle light. All that there was in the elongated corridor filled with composed metal armours was the overwhelming sense of secrecy and solicitude.

The heavy pouring rain, the thunderclaps and the echoes of his steps could not overpower his audible throbbing heart; he heard nothing more but the rebellious hammering of its beat that seemed to make the air thicker and harder to breathe. Everything that was happening seemed so familiar to him yet so strange, the weather, his movements, the rhythmic sounds, his thoughts and the unveiling of the sorrowful event that was soon to come. He had long foreseen this night, he knew what woeful feeling it would bring his weary heart yet he could not help himself from seeing what lay in the thickest part of the Forbidden Forest.

"_Please prove me wrong…. Tell me I've mistaken…"_

As soon as the exit to the castle ground was visible, his steps accelerated, his green cotton two piece clothing pushed harder onto his skin along with his bare foot clashing agonizingly against the cold, uncomfortable, solid path. But after the calamity his barefoot suffered, he was granted to walk on soft grass after passing the almost magical portal to the extensive grounds of Hogwarts. He did not take even just a second to savour the new found satisfaction when he felt immediate contact with ample of rain drops jabbing his skin like heavy blunt daggers.

Shortly after Tom Riddle's exposure to the pouring rain, his entire body drenched not only in sweat and the showering rain but also the teardrops that fell unceasingly against his numbing cheeks. He ignored it. He was thankful that there was nobody there to see him break, he was glad that the darkness of the night masked his afflicted expression.

With every flashing light, he found himself coming closer and closer to the outskirt of the Forbidden Forest, yet with every heartbeat his anxiety became his fear, his pace declined and his pounding heart now sang at ease, does he really want to know what's behind those towering trees? Would it be bearable? Should he continue on running? IS IT EVEN REAL?

"Good God, Mr. Riddle, what on earth are you doing out here?"

Tom sliced the air as he turned around to face the voice that spoke to him, "Headmaster Dippet…." he addressed hoarsely.

"You shouldn't be out, its hours past midnight." he paused looking quite nervous, "I clearly gave directions that no students must be out in any part of the castle except their dormitories after nine."

Tom's gaze pondered on the tall man's figure, his perfectly round spectacles rested on the bridge of his nose askew, his nightcap hanged dishevelled on one side of his head, and his right knuckles whitened from the tight grip of his umbrella. Not quite listening to what he was saying, Tom still stood in the rain attentively.

"Are you listening to me boy? I'm telling you to get inside!"

Although the image of Dippet being in his night wear, bellowing at him whilst holding an umbrella was rare and comical, Tom's reaction was not at all relative to the situation, he stood frozen and rooted to the ground. His steady eyes wondered horrendously as he played the images in his head once more: the painful journey in the Corridor of Armours, the satisfaction of the soft grass beneath his foot, the pattern on which the raindrop followed, the flashing lights, his hesitation, now the appearance of Headmaster Dippet in a ludicrous state and the words he spoke was all too well co-ordinated. His relaxed upper face suddenly lit with horror, his brows clashed as his realization came to him in a strike……. _"IT IS REAL!"_

In a rapid speed Tom turned his back to his headmaster and faced the spectral Forbidden Forest, he gazed at it once more and immediately fled barefooted. He pushed aside everything, the bawling noises behind him, including his roaring headmaster that charged after him disadvantaged due to his old age. Finally he felt submerged in the thick air polluted with mysteries of the Forbidden Forest after passing its first line of trees. He turned his head sideways furiously waiting for something…… and there he saw it, the lively flame of a lantern accompanied by two familiar voices… Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House, Professor Slughorn and Divination Professor Alastriona Drummond.

"What are we going to do?" asked the feminine quivering voice, "What are we going to tell the students?"

Tom hid behind a tree fearing that if they caught him they would not let him see the shards of those emerald lively pools he loved.

Quietly Tom slipped from behind the large tree without his Professors noticing his movements. He hurried further inside the forest until finally he reached the part where the rain no longer showered him due to the thick layers canopy. He stopped when he reached a wall like structure of intertwined prickled branches. He's getting closer….. its just the rampart that stood between him and warmth he longed and hoped to feel. Without any ado, his feet manoeuvred by itself, sprinting to the nearest opening. He could see the illuminating lights from behind the barrier, shadows moving here and there and soft muffles that reached his inattentive ears. Just one more big step to go and that's it, his curiosity could rest but his mind and heart could never heal. The pounding against his chest became more and more fast-paced that the sound it made was no longer beat after beat but a steady tone.

The step was made…. he was there standing behind a moving crowd of five talking silently and in the middle of the crowd there lay the figure he was dreading to see. Tom Riddle advanced slowly and mutely towards the centre of the group, caring not about stares and questioning looks that wrapped around him as if he was a foreigner suffering from serious dose of abnormality. He was far too overwhelmed by the motionless, cadaverous and open eyed feminine figure before of him to reply to such reactions. Seeing her lifeless form, tears immediately ran across Tom's moist cheeks and his chest heaved so deep that it pained him.

"Astrid…."

"_Astrid……"_

He inhaled the deep essence of ancient books at rounded behind him before muttering her name once more as he opened his ghostly eye lids. With his long spidery fingers, he wiped the sweat that mounted on his bald head. The throbbing that pulsed beneath his skull slowly disappeared as the image of her lifeless body disintegrated. His pale and lanky form sunk deeper in the leather chair as he thought of his dream once more. Every night the same eerie nightmare would come to him, haunting him of those green eyes that always looked at him with either animosity or ardency. At the though of it he slammed his fist on the mahogany table before him. How ever did he bring himself to care, or even worst, to love?

"WORMTAIL!" he roared impatiently as he brought himself to his feet observing the many leather bindings that filled the extensive bookshelves around him.

Short after his call, the whimpering man stood beside him and replied cowardly, "Yes My Lord?"

Voldemort stood steadily still looking at a portrait of a brown haired woman that hanged in within the library walls of the Malfoy Manor, "Inform everyone that we will no longer stay at the Malfoy's, our new headquarters would be in the Forbidden Forest." he paused and soon continued with a smile thrust upon his thin lips, "The thickest part of the Forbidden Forest."

"_I'm doing this __to dishonour your memory…"_

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**Did you like it? Please let me know how you it was, send a review if you like. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!**_  
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	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE (MUST READ): **Ok I got a bit drifted away when I started this chapter, I original wrote something else but a message from one of my readers gave me an idea so I changed the whole thing. **Ok, in this story Harry was never a horcrux or whatever and THE SLAZAR SLYTHERIN locket was never found or destroyed which means that Harry, Hermione or Ron never wore it. Voldemort never looked for the elder wand and when Harry came to the Godrick Holow, it was spring and not christmas eve.**

I can't stress it enough how important reviews actually are, if you see something not right or anything at all please tell me about it if you have time, I would love to hear your comment.

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**OUR LOVE IN THE PAGES OF HISTORY**

**II**

It was not long till he finally reached the soaring Victorian weir, it was barely recognizable. The clinging greens had completely dominated the thick, winding metal that stretched in the horizon and the youthful grass that cloaked every bare corner of the gloomy place now overpowered by towering timber that barely ravished any passing visitors.

Fifty three years had gone since his last visit, yet his reminiscence of the erected stones that spread widely across the small portion of the Goswick estate mounted solidly deep within his memory. He had been there many times before but the last that he set foot on the Goswick family graveyard was on a hot summer day, 30th of June, 1945, the day Astrid Goswick was buried six foot beneath the surface of the earth. Many grieving friends dressed in complete black lamented before her lowering coffin. Friends from Hogwarts, staff from the Goswick Manor, and even children from the orphanage wept in exception for Tom. Every face he saw held sadness and anguish with a set of tears to follow their emotion, and although he felt the same, he hid his tormented soul beneath his cold surface, but he knew that no mater how adept he was in doing this, his eyes would always reflect the impaired feeling he was experiencing. He distinctively remembered turning to get a glance of Finella Brewer and was curious by the expression she wore. Finella was known to be unusual and quite deviant but the piqued and wrathful glare she shot at the grave surprised him. But all of that did not matter now… Voldemort was not there to pay respect and reminisce about what happened on that hot summer day, he was there to claim immortality- the scent of eternal life teased him immensely as he finally burst open the towering gate.

Voldemort immediately fled across the graveyard looking for her grave, fearing of wasting time, his pace quickened. George Goswick- no.. almost there, Isobel Goswick- no. His pace came to a halt when finally the grave he was searching for lay deteriorated next to Isobel. Written in bold letters, her name was carved on the stone.

HERE LIES

ASTRID GOSWICK

FEBRUARY 29, 1927

One after the other his feet led him towards her burial, a mount of rectangular stone that stood so simple unlike the others that erected with Celtic crosses, guarding angels and tall monuments, her grave was the odd one. There's no questioning why, none of who she knew or knew her would know that she's not part of them.

There was something in her death that was unbelievable; there was no creature in the Forbidden Forest that could overpower her knowledge in magic. She was rightfully titled his equal, he knew no other witch or wizard that earned his respect the way she did, she was intelligent and her skill could no doubt easily surpass any beast in the Forest. Yet now that he stood by her grave, her death seemed more realistic than before with every whisper of her name. Abruptly he stopped himself and blocked his thoughts. This was becoming regular and it annoyed him, it seems as though memories of her wriggled out of leash and meandered inside his head uncontrollably. With such wrath, his upper eye lids cloaked his blood coloured iris tightly as he massaged his right temple with his wand.

"Enough!" he snapped his eyes wide opened as if recovering from a bad dream.

Slowly he aimed his wand right at her grave and muttered, "Surrec-" but stoped when an alluring scent of lavender suddenly attended the graveyard beside him. Unconsciously, he cloaked his eyes once more and elevated his nose wanting to seize more of its given pleasure that woke his desires, it was much stronger than immortality or power, it was something else, something more… Voldemort tilted his head and tardily exposed his pupils to the light and there only three meters away stood an unfamiliar mausoleum.

He had not notice it before but now it was the centre of his attention, guarded by two demonic gargoyles and protected by black iron gates; it was the most beautiful architect that stood within the graveyard. It was new; the carvings were still fresh and the marbles undamaged. He felt himself being drawn towards it, curious of who was concealed inside when Astrid was the last remaining Goswick to have owned the country estate. Behind the iron gates a chandelier of magical ever-lasting candles hung on the ceiling and under it was two marble effigies of a grieving girl and a dead man on a heightened bed like surface. The man laid slothfully close to the girl, head on a pillow carved stone, one hand holding a glinting dagger whilst the girl with long curly hair sat next to the man, holding his hand to her cheek and away from the man's gaze she held a crystal ball, small enough to be clutched with one hand. Their faces weren't clear due to the shadows that were cast upon them but the crystal the girl held looked awfully familiar. It was not the typical crystal ball use for divination; it was not clear or solid to the centre, it was hollow and lightened with many swimming strand of glowing blue.

As he was about to reach for the opening a familiar voice called him, _"Master, I've caught Harry Potter. I have caught Harry Potter!" _

Only a short moment after Nagini's beckoning Voldemort was at Bathilda Bagshot's poorly lit bedroom staring at Harry, whose hand whitened from pressing the lightning both like scar on his forehead that opened with immense displeasure. Voldemort's lips tugged slightly upwards as he saw the vulnerable Harry Potter before him. He could've easily cursed him but a voice that rose from the corner of the room distracted him, it was the mudblood that's been travelling with Harry Potter.

"Harry!!" Hermione yelled as she bolted to her friend, her hair sweeping away from her face, revealing her stained cheeks and dark eyes that twinkled with tears.

Voldemort's pale and thin figure suddenly froze; the grin on his snake like face disappeared slowly. The features of this mudblood looked remarkably identical to Astrid's, it was as if he was seeing her again in flesh. As much as he wanted to run, grab her and inspect her thoroughly, he stood there just watching.

While Harry bawled in pain by an unbarred window, Hermione immediately ran to him, embraced his quivering body and pushed both herself and Harry out into the open. Caging her tears of fear as they fall in mid air, she looked back from where they came and within the window frames, she saw Voldemort's red iris peer directly at her with such astonishment.

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The Malfoy Manor was empty that late afternoon, the Death Eaters already vacated to the Forbidden Forest as their Dark Lord desired. The Lady and Gentleman of the house were also out from London to welcome their only son for the Easter Holidays.

"Bloody useless followers!" he complained as he stormed to the salon.

The room was widely covered with hunter green tapestry and was decorated by only a few gold plated man size mirrors and one large portrait of the current Malfoy residents, Lucius, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. There were two greatly heightened windows that extended from the border of the ceiling to the ground and were rightfully decorated with heavy gold patterned curtains. Many carved figures surrounded the only crystal chandelier that hung divinely onto the high, well decorated ceiling. Like the ceiling, the drawing room floor was far from bare, antique Louis XIV arm chairs gathered around the only standing fireplace, there were many multicoloured flowers that flourished every corner of the room and multiple curvaceous writing tables displayed proudly near the windows.

Voldemort furiously pointed his wand at the fireplace and chanted for fire to come alive. He paced back and forth before the fire and meandered his temple frantically with his spidery fingers.

"My Lord?" asked a tall, blonde haired man who stood in curiosity by the doorframe as he watched his superior display an almost comical scene.

"Malfoy!" Voldemort called out with a hint of relief in his voice, "Back from Town with your son already?"

"Yes My Lord."

"Tell me, did he not go to Hogwarts with Harry Potter?"

"He did My Lord."

The haughtiness in his voice that disappeared for a moment returned with haste, "Call him in."

He turned his back to Lucius as he watched the fire flicker calmly, he did not wait long till a set of short footsteps entered the room. Draco now stood where his father was and looked uninterested at the lanky figure standing before the fireplace.

"My Lord." he announced ungracefully.

Voldemort did not waste time to chatter the teen but got straight to what he wanted to know, "Tell me all about the muggle that travels with Potter."

Only till then that Draco's thoughts filed with question, since when did the Dark Lord became curious with anyone or as a matter of fact, anything that does not consist of anything dark or Harry Potter?

"The mudblood?" Draco reassured.

"Yes the muggle. What is her name and tell me anything you know." he commanded wavering his hand.

Another question arose, the Dark Lord calling a 'mudblood' a 'muggle'? There was definitely something awry about that.

"Her name is Hermione- Hermione Granger, she's Potter's pet and she's an annoying know-it-all." he paused thinking of anything else to say because even though he teased her all these years all he ever knew about her was her name, blood trait and her title in Hogwarts, "I always hear Hagrid say that she's the smartest witch of her age." he scoffed.

"Really now?" Voldemort grinned; his voice was so ruptured with curiosity that Darco no longer felt frightened within such close range to the Dark Lord.

Voldemort soon asked for Hermione's photograph to confirm the resemblance and it was no doubt that he was seeing a complete replica of Astrid Goswick. A moving image of Hermione pulling Harry in an embrace before his first Tri Wizard Tournament task played repeatedly on the front cover of an old Daily Prophet. Unable to unglue his eyes from the friendly act he became unconscious of the time.

Not a great distance away from the Malfoy Manor, a tent erected securely on a small land close by a lake. It was almost dawn but sleep has not come except for Harry whose eye lay rested since early that evening, since their close encounter with Voldemort.

Harry stirred underneath his sheets as he felt the cold air seep through his blanket, his hand reached for the scar located on his forehead and found that it no longer stung, still with his eyes closed, he pulled his blanket away to search for Hermione.

"You're awake!" greeted an unfamiliar voice.

Alarmed, Harry shot his eyes wide open but only then did he remember that he did not have his glasses on. Although he could not see clearly the blur of the figure before him was definitely Hermione, under the golden rays of the lantern, her hair was brown but longer and less bushy but everything about her was the same except her voice.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, are **you **aright?" he asked daring to address her as Hermione or not while searching for his spectacles, "Are you sick?"

"A little bit."

"That explains your voice."

"I should probably call Hermione in now, tell her that you're awake." she paused as she opened Harry's hand and giggled, "Here's your spectacles." with haste she turned her back to Harry for the tent opening.

Harry immediately arranged his round spectacles on his nose bridge, trying to catch a glimpse of the stranger's back before she was out of the tent. Now that his sight was clear, he blushed at the embarrassment of almost calling her Hermione when it clearly wasn't her. Although there where resemblance the differences were outstanding, he was a good ¾ of an inch taller with brown hair more tameable and extended just above her waist which was again noticeably smaller than Hermione's. Her disappearance was soon followed by Hermione's presence.

Hermione saw the questioning look Harry wore and immediately relieved him with answers, "Her name is Rose. She found us when we apparated here. She's a witch, she has a wand but she can't remember how to do magic." she paused as she took a glance of the moving shadow outside the tent, "Poor girl…"

Reluctant on whether to speak or not, Harry muttered to Hermione softly fearing that the girl outside the tent might hear, "When I woke up I thought you were her."

Hermione did not have to say a word for Harry to read her thoughts and the questioning look plastered across her face, "She looks like you."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked with a look that made Harry uncomfortable and dense, "She looks nothing like me."


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everybody!! Yeye! Finally posted the third chapter!! LOL now we're getting somewhere!! the next chapter will be very exciting so look out for that one!

HAPPY READING!!

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**OUR LOVE IN THE PAGES OF HISTORY**

**III**

The smell of bird dung was incredibly powerful under Ron's feet and even worst the strong wind just brought more unpleasant smell of rotting animals left to decompose on the ground. He immersed himself deeper in his coat as the wind push against him, collar above his nose to block the foul stench but his sight still confounded by darkness.

He had just received a letter from Hermione a few hours ago stating that they were almost caught by Voldemort and locating where they were. She cautioned him that if ever he decides to look for them now, he must not use anything that would attract attention as Voldemort's followers may be roaming around, searching for Harry. And so with caution, Ron walked through the dry, well canopied forest, guided only by tiny sparks of moonlight yet he held his wand with pressure, ready for any attack.

It's been almost two weeks since Ron left Harry and Hermione to visit his family, specially his sister Ginny that never came back to Hogwarts from her Easter Holiday. Ginny's alright and is in hiding but Ronald's family has been put under a watchful eye due to this foolish act, yet it's been the wisest thing she has ever done since the start of that year. As Ron pulled away from his thoughts and gathered all his senses to expose against the gushing chill of air, a flight of lavender scent softly tapped his nostrils. His brow clashed suspiciously, eyes moving from corner to corner and his teeth grinding as if to speak. Slowly, Ron paced himself quietly behind a tree, his back pushing against its wide trunks but as soon as his mop of red mane came in complete contact with the rough surface of the tree trunk, a crackling noise of twigs breaking sounded from behind him. His cheeks flushed in fear and his eyes widened with alertness. Ron's wand almost broke within his tight grip as he manoeuvred himself sideways to confront whoever was behind the other side of the tree. With such slow pace, he pulled himself around the trunk, his wand before his eyes, waiting…

"Stupefy!" Ron let out as he finally revealed himself from behind the tree. Pointing his trembling wand at the body on the ground he yelled, "Who are you!" but the figure before him didn't utter a word, _"Don't tell me I just hit a muggle?" _

Ron chanted for light to assure himself whether it was a muggle or not and to his surprise he found himself eye to eye with a familiar face, "Hermione!" he brought her in a tight embrace but the body in his arms gave no sign of excitement.

"It's me Ron."

"Ronald Weasley!" she beamed at him as if it was the first time they ever met.

"I'm sorry about that, I didn't know it was you hiding there." Ron uttered as he pulled away from her.

"I wasn't hiding and you caught me off guard." she whispered more to herself yet it was loud enough for Ron to here, "I'm fortunate that it was only you. Imagine if it were one of the Dark Eaters? In addition to my stupidity, I have no possession of my wand." she paused looking up at Ron, "Will you please help me up?"

"Why don't you have your wand? You're not usually that type of person." Ron questioned as he took her hand and pulled her up.

"Aren't I?" she looked at the red head, brows clashing but was followed by a wide smile, "I left it in the tent. I should really be getting back, they were expecting me ages ago."

"They? I thought you said there was only you and Harry."

"Yeah… I meant Harry by 'they'."

"Are you alright Hermione?" Ron asked quite suspicious, "You seem out of it."

"Never felt better." she smiled courteously at him, "Shall we?"

The pair walked silently together but with every step they took, Ron felt more and more submerged in suspicion, "So how's Harry?"

"He's doing fine now, he woke up a few hours ago but I'm still worried about his scar. It's really hurting him"

"How close did you get to You-Know-Who?" Ron questioned further as if testing if she was the real Hermione and not one of Voldemort's followers.

"We were in the same room as him." she took a deep breath while bringing her hands to her arms, "The moment he appeared in Bathilda's room, I felt my heart contracted, I didn't know why, but I was certain it was not panic or fear, or horror- it was something of a matter I couldn't put my finger on. His snake like face was lit with a grin of joy when he saw Harry suffering in pain but the moment he saw me… it was unusual, his face stricken, his eyes wide open as if he'd just seen a dead person in flesh."

"Who, you?"

"Yeah… He must've known someone from a long time ago who looks like me. But I'm just wondering why he acted with such surprise; and affliction? I have no idea what exactly that expression was." she smiled in confusion.

"But he's been chasing Harry for years now and we're always beside him. Isn't it sort of stupid that he reacts like that now?"

"You never know, maybe he's heard of us but never actually saw us in flesh or photographs." she paused beaming at the small maroon coloured tent before them, "Oh look, we're here. Why don't you go inside and say hello to Harry while I go and look for Rose."

"Who's Rose? And I thought there was only Harry waiting for you?"

"Harry will explain it as soon as you get inside." Before Ron could ask another question she disappeared back in the forest.

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Harry sat by the tent opening waiting for both Hermione and Rose. He found himself sighing deeply in boredom till the tent entrance revealed Ron who immediately beamed at him.

"Harry!"

"I thought you were with Ginny-how is she?" Harry asked with much distress as he stood up to lead Ron to the kitchen.

"I was but Hermione sent me a letter, I was worried so I decided to come back." Ron paused as he took a seat, "Ginny's alright. She's staying at my brother Charlie's old apartment in Wales, she should be alright there."

"Have you seen Hermione on your way here, she's been gone for ages." Harry asked while handing Ron a cup of warm tea.

"Yeah, she led me here but went back out there to look for- Rose, was it?" Ron replied before taking a sip.

Harry sat opposite to Ron and started introducing him to their new company, "Has she told you about her?" Ron replied shaking his head, "Well apparently Rose saw us apparating, she's a witch, she's got a wand and she can't do magic but Hermione's been teaching her how to apparate and use defensive spells. She's doing very well." Harry smiled before continuing, "She was sitting next to my bed when I woke up, I thought she was Hermione, because she looked like her- that was before I put my glasses on." both boys laughed before a beaming voice interrupted their conversation.

"Ron!" Hermione smiled as she wrapped her arms around Ron.

"Are you alright Hermione?" Ron asked worridly.

"What do you mean, am I alright?" she asked still smiling but with a hint of somewhat anger.

"I met with you minutes ago. Remember you even led me here?"

"I haven't seen you for almost two weeks. Do you think I'm mad?" she raised a brow looking down at Ron who was sitting uncomfortably now.

"But-I was with you a few minutes ago, I swear I'm not lying! I even attacked you because I thought you were someone else, remember?" Ron pulled himself off the chair to over tower Hermione, "You even said you left your wand here."

Hermione looked the Ron in confusion, her brows clashing and her hand reaching for her wand in her right pocket, "My wand is right here. And attack me? Please Ronald you couldn't even get my wand off me."

"I'm not lying! I'm being serious here!"

Harry who was in the middle of the two just looked back and forth trying to weight their argument, "I don't think he's lying Hermione, he told me that he was with you moments ago."

"See I told you!"

"What are you driving at Ron? I have not seen you in almost 2 weeks."

"Maybe you're just imagining." a voice from behind Hermione broke their ongoing argument, "This forest has been know to play with your mind."

"But I'm not a lunatic!"

"You know what; I'm not even going to take this further. I'm just glad that you're here."

Hermione stalked away, leaving Ron standing flushed in lack of breath and Harry in awe. Quietly she kneeled beside her bed reaching for a book of defensive spells and angrily scanning it unconsciously to get her mind off Ron's foolish argument.

Ron turned to Harry and whispered, "I swear Harry, she was with me before I walked in here."

"I can still hear you Ronald!"

Ron almost jumped in surprise but turned to Harry again, "How can that woman hear us?"

"Shut up Ronald!"

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An hour had passed since Hermione and Ron's argument arose yet a thick air still looms around them, but Ron tried and brush this feeling away by directing his attention somewhere else, "So Rose, where exactly are you from?"

"I lived in Oxfordshire but only recently, I've been travelling around, searching for someone." Rose replied as she leaped off her feat and sat next to Hermione who was carefully analysing the book Dumbledore gave her.

"Who were you looking for?" Harry asked who sat across from the taller of the two girls.

"I don't exactly know his name but every month he sends me letters along with a flask of sweet drink." she smiled at Harry, "I met him once, a very long time ago but I couldn't really see his face because he wore a hood over his head. He seemed much nicer in his letters and when I met him I was surprised- he sounded intentionally cruel and arrogant. I remember his talks, he drag his 's' like a snake."

"Sounds a bit like Snape." Ron said suspiciously as he turned to Harry who nodded in approval.

"What did the letter say?" Harry asked.

"Oh nothing… nothing to worry about." she smiled directly at Harry but her eyes wondered furiously away after she replied with an uncertain answer.

"Do you remember how you lost your memory?" asked Ron with curiosity.

Hermione looked at him unbelievably, "Ron, she wouldn't have amnesia if she knows!" she shook her head at his stupidity.

Hermione turned her attention back to the book but lost interest when she found nothing useful, "Why would Dumbledore give this to me, it does absolutely nothing to help us." she threw the children's book beside her and rubbed her temple in distress.

"What about the Tale of Three Brothers?" asked Ron, "It mentioned Harry's cloak."

"It's not real!" argued Hermione, "For goodness sake, it's a children's book."

"Who knows, the Elders wand and the Resurrection Stone could be real, just like my cloak." Harry reasoned getting up the floor beside Hermione's bed and into the kitchen.

While the three argued whether The Tale of Three Brothers may be real, Rose seized the book beside her and started flipping through its pages and at the very back on the cover she saw the initials A.G, 1946, written in red ink. She traced her fingers on the letters as if she was somehow connected to it. Her reverie turned into pouncing force hammering her temple, Rose immediately closed the book in the hope that the pain in her head would go away. But another surprise awaited her as she looked at the leather bounded book. In between the spine of the book and the stitched pages, Rose saw a well hidden brown folded parchment. Completely unnoticed by the Harry, Ron and Hermione, who was still arguing in the kitchen, Rose cautiously pulled the piece of paper out of the book.

Carefully unfolding it, Rose eyed the paper in amazement as she saw the handwriting she knew so well.

_Professor Dumbledore,_

_I am sorry to have given you the responsibility of keeping the secret of my existence but in return I will gladly assist you with preventing Tom from what he will become. Very soon he will realise the importance of 'the' book, and that is why I destroyed it. But in honour of Professor Nicholas Flamel, I deciphered its every content and hid it in this very book. Hermione would be its most reliable guardian, once its within her grasp, not a page will be visible to Tom._

_A.G_

Seeing Rose sitting on Hermione's bed like a frozen duck with the book The Tales of Beetle the Bard on her lap and a parchment in her hands, Harry fell curious. Just a moment ago they left her empty handed but now that he was back, she sat there, her mouth slightly open from shock and her brows clashing with questions, "Where did you get that?" he asked looking at what looked like a letter.

"From the spine of the book." Rose answered immediately without taking a glace of Harry, "It mentioned Hermione, and a guy named Tom." She paused now looking intently at Harry, "Why does his name sound so familiar?"

"Can I see?" Harry extended his arm to reach for the letter. He stood reading almost out of breath as if fearing to miss a word, "Hermione, Ron come and look at this."

With such haste the pair rushed to Harry, Ron seizing the letter and reading it aloud while the three listened. As soon as Ron was done reading, Hermione asked in anxiety, "Is it dated?"

"No date- not in any part of the letter." Rose replied staring blankly at nothing.

"But the book does." With such haste, Hermione grabbed the book from Rose's lap and scanned the back cover, "1946."

"That's impossible! No one could've known you in 1946." Ron sounded in awe.

Harry glanced at the initials on the book and the initials on the letter and said in surprise, "I might be possible, it's the same initials. Someone knew a long time ago that Riddle would be what he is now." Harry beamed in instant, "We have to find her! She could help us."

"How did you know it was a girl?" Ron asked in a questioning look.

"Can't you tell by the handwriting Ron?" Hermione answered quite excited, finally they were getting somewhere.

Suddenly and image of a graveyard appeared before Rose's eyes. The plain gravestone of Astrid Goswick lay dull and undecorated compared to the rest of its residents. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, "She's dead…"

"What?!" Harry, Rona and Hermione sounded in unison.

"Astrid Goswick… that's the person you are looking for. I visited her grave a few years ago. She's dead."

"Who killed her?" asked Hermione almost in tears of hoping too suddenly only to be dragged back down immediately.

"Voldemort." Rose uttered slowly but not slow enough for Ron to stop her.

"The name's Taboo!" Ron yelled fussing at every direction, "Hurry we've got to put the protection back up! That's how they find us! C'mon Harry, Hermione, Ro-" Ron looked at Hermione and looked back again at the spot where Rose was sitting down, "Rose's gone!!"

Soon there were exciting voices coming from outside the tent rushing wildly towards them, "Come out, come out wherever you are!

"She's one of them!" Hermione bellowed, "She planned this whole thing!!"


	4. Chapter 4

I know I said this chapter will be action packed- well kind of anyways but as I was writing it, I figured that if I continued

I know I said this chapter will be action packed- well kind of anyways but as I was writing it, I figured that if I continued on i would just be too long and plus i want to end this chapter with another one or two intriguing questions which will hopefully lead you on to the next!

OMG you're not going to expect what is about to happen, even the characters in this story wouldn't expect what is about to face them! Next chapter is when this story starts to get really intense. Well thank you for those people that reviewed although there is not a lot of you I STILL APPRECIATE IT!

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**OUR LOVE IN THE PAGES OF HISTORY**

**IV**

The voices outside the tent grew louder and louder as Harry's head throbbed in panic. He felt the thick air around him stirred, pushing his chest inwardly with pain. Harry tightened his eyes shut and opened them again only to see Hermione's stricken face chanting a spell directly at him, as soon as he saw the bright flight of light, his skin bubbled like liquid and turned blueberry within only seconds. He saw his nose disappeared behind his bubbled cheeks and his lips deaden with heavy weight. Once the bubbling stopped, Harry felt his whole body come to complete pause, he was blind, mute and deaf all at the same time.

Harry swivelled around, trying to reach for something-anything, then he felt Hermione's fragile arm around his balloon like hands, he grasped it as tight as it could allow but something strikingly sharp jabbed through the back of his head. And before he knew it, his grasp of Hermione's arm came undone as his infected body fell dramatically to the ragged floor as if without a soul.

...

The stone floor was rough below Harry's cheeks and the smell of blood, rotten food and dust bellowed at him immediately. Coughing soundly as he opened his eyes without a hint of anticipation, he saw his hands clutching the brick floor with no abnormalities. The bubbling had gone, the colour was finally fading and all his excess skin were no longer blocking his senses. The first sound that greeted his awakening were the shrieks of pain and torture from above where he lay.

"HERMIONE!" called a familiar voice a feet away from him.

"Ron…" Harry muttered as he pushed himself off the ground, "Where are we?" he asked wearily squinting his eyes at every dark and blurry objects his sight came across with.

"Harry… They've got Hermione!" then more shrieks came from up the stairs, "HERMIONE!!"

"Harry? Ron? Is that you?" whispered a voice from within the shadows of the small dark room.

Behind the blur Harry saw a long mop of blonde hair emerged from darkness, "Luna?"

"Harry we've got to do something!" Ron quivered as he slammed his whole body against the metal door, "They've got Hermione- their torturing her!"

"It's best not to scream…" Luna whispered to Ron with the same comforting and assuring voice she always had.

"Where are we?" asked Harry.

"We're at Malfoy's." Luna answered as she turned her heard from corner to corner of the room, "Hermione's upstairs being questioned, about your location… about her- they might've not recognized you because of your previous appearance."

"About Hermione?"

...

Bellatrix paced back and forth infront of Hermione, wriggling her wand as she hutched questioning her, "Tell me mudblood, where's your precious Potter?"

"Kill me if you want but I'll never tell you anything!" Hermione spat furiously as she sat before Bellatrix, hands and feet tied to the chair.

"What a brave little Gryffindor…" Bellatrix grinned with murderous intentions engraved in her eyes. She turned her back to Hermione, adoring the paintings on the walls, the chandelier above and the shiny floorboards. With haste, Bellatrix turned back to meet Hermione's eyes, and bellowed at her with a hint of jealousy, "What does he want from you! You're a filthy mudblood not worth my breath!"

"Bella!" called a menacing yet somewhat more calming voice the Bellatrix's, "Don't… The Dark Lord insists that she must be alive." Narcissa pleaded.

Hermione was lost in confusion and drowned in her own questions; she suddenly became unaware of the whole situation, submerged in her own mind while watching the two argue whether to kill her or not was none of her concerns. All that occupied her mind was, _"Should it not be Harry that they were supposed to preserve for Voldemort and not her?" _

Only did Hermione tear away from her reverie when she felt the blunt end of Bellatrix's wand jabbing harshly against the skin under her jaw, "I like this room…" she smiled revealing her yellow, thin yet perfectly straight teeth, "Too bad its going to splattered with your blood!"

"Bellatrix!" an icy voice hissed from the opening of the room, "What did I tell you? Did I not say to bring the muggle to me alive?!"

"A muggle, My Lord?" Bellatrix dared, purposely rolling her tongue on the word muggle.

The tall, cloaked figure peered through her with impatience and without tolerance, "Leave us!"

The dark haired glanced at Hermione with hatred as her jaws tightened with anger. Still she persisted with little charm, "But My Lord-"

"I SAID LEAVE!"

With no sooner than a minute, both Narcissa and Bellatrix were out of the room leaving Hermione still glued to the chair and Voldemort standing proudly before her. There was silence… a long chain of silence. Voldemort took a step closer, staring at Hermione without blinking, his eyes reflecting affliction, pain and curiosity. She felt uncomfortable under his watch, she didn't want to look into his eyes- those red snake like iris scared her more than death. Hermione bowed her head and closed her eyes tightly to hold back the tears of fear as her heart pounded for rescue, "Help me!" she cried in her head. She felt the air around her stir, she opened her eyes hoping that Voldemort had gone but to her surprise, she found him on his knees untying the rope on her feet. His fingers moved so softly and with care as if careful not to break a thin, hollow glass doll. Voldemort looked up at her but she immediately looked away, fearing that he might explore her memories.

Soon after, Voldemort untied the rope that kept Hermione's hand glued to the arm rests, "What are you doing?" she asked still not giving eye contact.

Voldemort crouched infront of Hermione observing her every feature, he questioned, "Is this really you or are you just a clone to fool me- to haunt me from your grave?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hermione shivered with disgust and fear.

The refrained yet viscous silence suddenly broke with Voldemort's outburst, "Tell me!" he the stood like the speed of lightning and took a firm hold of Hermione's arm, his touch almost burning her to the bone, "Have you been fooling me all these years?!" then just as fast as his anger built, the sorrow he hid emerged through his voice, "…there I was thinking you were dead, buried and rotten, but here you are young as the morning dew… Did you laugh when you saw me lamented before your grave? Dressed in black, peering-almost shattered at the sight of your EMPTY COFFIN!" with force, Voldemort threw Hermione off the chair and to the floor with no mercy.

Hermione screamed in pain, her figure curling on the floor for protection but Voldemort paced towards her, ignoring grunts and curses she made, he bellowed, "Where is it!" he picked her from the wooden board once more by her sluggish arm and asked her again, "Where is the book!"

"What book?" Hermione uttered weakened and sore.

"The Book of Abraham the Jew, where is it?!"

Still attached to the floor, Hermione, for the first time, directed her sight to his and to her shock, he replied to her with the most unexpected expression. Voldemort's brows clashed with questions and her arms relaxed under his loosened grip, "Your eyes- their brown…You're not Astrid?"

Then suddenly there were loud bangs and noises coming from down the stairs near where Harry, Ron and the rest were locked up. Hermione listened hoping it was rescue and to her surprise she heard a familiar voice, it was Rose chanting spells Hermione never taught her, "ABEO!" then just like that, everything was quiet, not a sound but Ron's struggle to blast the door open.

Something about Rose's voice that captured Voldemort, perhaps it was the unwanted intrusion, or the familiarity of her spell casting and its effects. Whatever it was, was enough to drive his mind away from the thought of The Book Of Abraham the Jew. He unclamped his grip of Hermione's hand, letting it fall to the floor like an unwanted rag doll. He walked silently to the door and down the stairs, he saw many silhouettes running wildly around the frozen figures of Bellatrix, Narcissa, Lucious Malfoy and Draco.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled, "We've got to get Hemione!"

"I'll get her, JUST GO!" Hermione heard Rose's voice grew with impatience.

Volemort cursed under his breath and was about to cast a spell to undo Rose's damage till a loud pop sound came from behind him. Immediately, he eyed the third figure in the room, it was Rose running to Hermione, her long wavy brown hair hypnotizing Volemort with ease, "Astrid!" she shouted embracing Hermione's weary figure.

"You!" Voldemort glided across the room shocked by what was laid before his eyes, "You were suppose to be dead!"

"And so was she." Rose grinned referring to Hermione, "She fooled you… she made you thought she died, and wasn't it effective?" a devious smile was plastered across Rose's face. Voldemort tried to take a step closer but there was something holding his leg, it was a rotten hand rooted to the floorboards. It was as if clinging back to life, refusing to let go while dragging him down to hell.

After just a glimpse of Rose's smile of satisfaction, they were gone leaving Voldemort throwing curses at the hand that held his legs so tightly. The thought of being outsmarted made his head boil with anger. Yet there, a small voice inside his head questioned, _"The both of them, alive?"_

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OMG! WHO COULD ROSE BE? what about Hermione eh-Astrid? WHAT DO YOU THINK?

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	5. Chapter 5

**aUTHORS NOTE: i dont own HP... but i do own this plot so please dont try and steal it. **

OK SO I KNOW I HAVENT BEEN UPDATING LATELY BUT I'VE BEEN REASONABLY BUSY, AND THERE IS THAT THING CALLED WRITER'S BLOCK. anyways!! PLEASE ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!

Oh by the way THANK YOU SO MUCH to those generous readers to left me a review in the previous chapters!!

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_After just a glimpse of Rose's smile of satisfaction, they were gone leaving Voldemort throwing curses at the hand that held his legs so tightly. The thought of being outsmarted made his head boil with anger. Yet there, a small voice inside his head questioned, __"The both of them, alive?"_

**OUR LOVE IN THE PAGES OF HISTORY**

**V**

Hermione was completely submerged in total darkness as she walked cautiously following the endless path of blindness. She pressed her eyes desperately hoping for light but it proved no use. The faint cool breeze that brushed against her exposed knees and face and the deafening sound of her footsteps intensified the suspense that awaited her. Then suddenly, there was the slightest glint of light pouring from an open door, she approached it with curiosity yet taking every step with alertness.

It was a corridor, a long, narrow yet richly decorated corridor. Hermione had the intention of inspecting the new surroundings first yet her feet moved as if it had its own mind, defying everything she commands it to do. Her pace was anxious and full of excitement storming through the corridor almost like a tornado. At the end of the passage way, she found exquisitely carved stone railings connecting concave twin staircases. She slumped herself against the railing, resting both her hands on the cold stone surface then smiled at the figure in the foyer four metres below her, his face that greeted her with delight, "Good evening Astrid."

Although mentally restraining herself, Hermione felt her heart pounding happily, replying to him with a whisper of his name, "Tom…"

It was the first time she has ever seen his face, he was handsome with voice that smoothly flows into your ears. It was a face that you could've never expected to evolve to what it is now, it was shame, Hermione admitted. He was truly pleasing in the eyes.

"Hermione!" she heard a soft muffle behind her, "Wake up Hermione!"

A burst of sunlight and dusty window panes were the first thing that greeted Hermione, "It's morning already?" she asked supporting her head as she straightened up.

"Its 6.30."

Hermione's gaze wandered around at what looked like a big tea room for a small group, with a crystal chandelier above a round table surrounded by four blue silk cushioned chairs. She found Rose standing infront of a half length mirror, dusting her knee length navy dress and only then did she notice that they were alone. Suddenly Hermione pulled her wand from her pocket and directed it to Rose.

"Where's Harry and Ron! What have you done to them?"

"Don't be ridiculous Hermione, put that stick away before you hurt yourself." Rose scoffed looking at Hermione though the mirror whilst rearranging her hair.

"Where's Harry and Ron!"

"Compose yourself Hermione!" said Rose with a quick turn, "They're fine, remember I'm the one who saved your sorry friends away from that horrible place." She turned quickly back to the mirror and continued with fidgeting with her hair.

"You're the one who put us there in the first place!"

Rose smiled deviously, "I wouldn't do that unless it was for a good reason."

Hermione looked at Rose with the most revolted expression, "Whatever reason could you argue to risk Harry's life, putting him in a very vulnerable situation when you very well know that he's the only one who could kill Vol- You-Know-Who!"

"Do you really believe in that?"

Hermione slowly lowered her wand and spoke with uncertainty, "The prophecy foretold it…"

"Its just a hoax. I could kill Riddle, **you **could kill Riddle, or better yet, he could kill himself."

"Kill himself?" Hermione laughed heartedly, "You must be out of it, he would never kill himself."

"Not the way you think." Rose turned her back to the mirror and placed both her hands on her hip, "Hermione, what would you do if Ronald Weasley had an affair with another woman and left you with implications that he never had any sort of adoration for you. That every moment he spent with you was a waste of time to him, all this while you are still so madly, deeply in love with him. Would there be no other way to escape the pain but the unredeemable death itself?"

"I don't love Ron!"

"Of course you dont." Rose smiled, "But isn't it brilliant? I've wanted to do this for a long time. I could almost see his face drowning in the lifeless world of death."

"You're cruel…"

"Oh come now Hermione, don't tell me you don't want him to die. Isn't it the reason why you're doing all this?" Rose scoffed as she exited the room.

Hermione followed close behind, curious of Rose's intentions. Soon after she found herself back in the same corridor in her dream, "I've been her before."

Rose sharply turned around and looked at her curiously, "What?"

"In my dream, I was here." Hermione looked behind Rose and gazed the bright stone railings, "It was at night and I was walking here," Hermione turned around and saw a corner, she pointed to it and said, "from over there."

"What were you doing?"

"I ran up to the stone railings, and down in the foyer I saw what I suspected to be Tom Riddle." Hermione bit her lip then continued on, "He greeted me with most unexpected look and called me Astrid, just like he did when we were at Malfoys." Rose watched in delight as Hermione's eyes rounded, "He was in love with Astrid, and Astrid was in love with him!"

Then suddenly, Hermione looked at Rose suspiciously, "That's what you meant back then wasn't it?" she paused momentarily, "Since Astrid is dead, you want **me** to pretend as if **I'm** Astrid to juggle with his emotions?"

"Bravo!" Rose clapped enthusiastically then sounded, "You prove to be smarter than I thought Hermione."

"But-"

"Its not hard really, well for you. You're almost just like her. And you've got him in your hands already, did you see the way acted around you and how he's so vulnerable with you around?"

"He was…"

"Honestly, if you ask anyone, they too would think this plan is brilliant. All we really have to do is dig up the real Astrid's grave to make him believe all this is true." Rose grabbed Hermione's wrist and stormed for the front door, "We have no time to lounge around and think Hermione, knowing him, the first thing he'll do is to check the grave."

But before they could even reach the set of stairs Hermione yelled in protest, "Are you mad?!"

"For what?" Rose asked casually as if this question had always been directed to her.

"This is wrong." Hermione stared at Rose with disgust, "Do you have any morals whatsoever? Because I know I do, and I'm not going to be a part of this."

Immediately Hermione trailed away with Rose closely following her, however when they reached the twin staircases, Rose stopped and yelled out to Hermione as she watched her disappear behind the door, "Well do as you please but before you go, you should know that people die with every minute you waste!"

Calmly, Rose sat on the railing resting four metres above the ground. She crossed her legs casually and as if with boredom slammed her chin on her fist.

With her fingers Rose counted playfully, five… four… three… two… one, then suddenly the door blew wide open, revealing a stunned Hermione, "He's here! I saw him in the graveyard!"

"I know."

"Then what are you doing just sitting there, we've got to get out of here before he finds out we're here."

Hermione heard no reply from Rose but the deep compassionate expression plastered across her face.

"Will you move!"

"Hermione this is your only chance." Rose looked at her intently, "If you do what I tell you now, you'd have better odds of standing against him without risking the lives of your friends."

Hermione felt a pinch in her heart, for the first time Rose was talking compassionately and it captured her almost immediately. She lingered at the thought for a minute then spoke with sturdiness, "Alright, I'll do it." she inhaled deeply then paced back and forth before continuing on, "But I have other plans- bring Harry here, with me as a distraction, it should be easier for him to kill You-Know-Who. Then he'd have no other options but to use his horcruxes, with his weakened state it would be easier to finally get rid of him."

"What will you do about the grave?"

"I'll take care of that." Hermione stared at Rose desperately.

"Hold him off while I go get Harry and Ron." Rose jumped from above the railing but before her feet could even touch the ground, she was gone.

Hermione inhaled deeply before placing her hand on the door knob. Closing her eyes tightly, she pulled it open and drowned herself in the cold morning air. One by one, her feet moved liked it never moved before, excited yet fearful. She never used to fear Voldemort like she did now, realising that there would be no one else with her but the rotting bodies underneath the ground made her shiver in isolation. Quietly, Hermione decreased her pace as she approach the black graveyard wiring, she slowly pushed it open, eyes still on the dark cloaked figure furiously wandering the grounds.

Her steps were slow and cautious. She had never been in the Goswick Graveyard before and was amazed by the art of each and every monument worthy of attention. Hermione saw Voldemort stopped abruptly, she suspected that he finally found her grave and so Hermione acted quickly, calling him by his real name, "Tom!" she found herself saying awkwardly.

Quicker than lightning, Voldemort's pale face snapped to greet Hermione's horrified expression, "Astrid?" he whispered yet without assurance.

Hermione stepped forward slowly as if finding courage in his voice, "What are you trying to do Tom? You won't find anything significant in there, I'm right here." This wasn't true; she knew that there would be a set of skeleton lying in there, the remains of the real Astrid.

Voldemort stared into her eyes as if reading her thoughts, he smiled then before Hermione knew what happened, she was binded to a monument watching Voldemort raise Astrid's coffin above the ground, being suspended in mid-air. She felt her chest pained from the constant hammering of her pulse, even her neck throbbed in fear of what may lay in the coffin. Once Voldemort sees Astrid's corpse, she would ceased to exist. _"Where's Rose?" _she kept asking herself, maybe she's been betrayed again.

"Tom let me go!!" Hermione started shouting in attempt to distract him.

"We'll see if you really are the real Astrid."

"I am! Let me go now!" Hermione commanded.

However, Voldemort had no intention of letting her lose, instead, he closed the air between Hermione and the sculpture, immobilising her whole body and enclosing a ring around her neck as she chocked for air desperately.

She felt her life slowly draining away, her eyes struggling to open and her finger growing cold every second. She heard the wood tearing forcibly then suddenly as she was about let her life be drained away, Voldemort let out a deep and loud sound, "Argg!"

Hermione forced herself to wake with the ring still enclosing tighter and tighter around her neck, she saw that the suspended coffin was empty and clean. However Voldemort did not seem as though he had the any intentions of letting her live even if Hermione was Astrid, "Where is it?!" he asked her.

Before Hermione could try and mutter any sound in reply, Voldemort had been flung across the ground causing his spell on her to break. She felt the soft grass beneath her and quickly gasp for air. Hermione yelled in pain as she desperately breathe in and out. She had been so tightly binded to the marble monument that it caused her ribs to collapse.

"C'mon, stand up Hermione!" she felt a pair of soft hands tugged her arm, "We've got to hurry!"

Hermione was surprised when she found herself standing in two feet, running and while softly clutching her side, "Hurry! He's coming!" the girl that tugged at her said.

It seemed as though they ran for kilometres when they finally submerged themselves into the darkness of a mausoleum. Hermione felt the smooth yet hard carving of the marble effigy against her fingers. Observing it with curiosity, she caught the stranger's hand on the glowing crystal ball. Then she felt Voldemort's cold shadow cast upon them, he muttered something she couldn't quite understand but instead of feeling its suspected painful effect, she felt the air restraining feeling of apparating.

Voldemort whispered her name as they disappeared leaving a him alone with the marble statues of two lovers. He noticed that the hollow crystal ball was no longer there but what shocked him the most were the faces of the marble statue, it was him in his younger state with Astrid lamenting before his dying figure.

"_Could it be that someone had known their destinies long ago? Could this be the place where he and Astrid will marry in death?"_

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**eH EH? WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?! Now you know Rose's intentions, aaahhh... but wait- who's the new stranger?**

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	6. Chapter 6

FINALLY CH.6!! AND NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING SOMEWHERE! Anyways I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and PLEASE REVIEW!

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**OUR LOVE IN THE PAGES OF HISTORY**

**VI**

It was the soft carpet of grass that first indicated Ron, Harry and Rose has reached the grounds of the Goswick estate. Ron found himself slammed against the moist ground with Harry trembling from cold before him. He pushed himself off the ground grunting from the rough landing and saw Rose vulnerably lifting her bruised body off the lushes carpet of green grass. As soon as Ron tore his gaze away from her he saw the beauty of where he was.

A grand red bricked manor stood with pride and elegance just a few metres away. Its craftsmanship so intense and capturing that it surpasses no other manors Ron has ever set his eyes on. The extravagance of every detailed gargoyle and the preciseness of the distance of every window almost blurred Ron's purpose of being there. He turned around only to see Harry gawking at the same architecture Ron was admiring only few moments ago. Behind Harry he saw the extensive ground of the Goswick estate; there were small lakes, lavish gardens, a large fountain, stables, woodlands that stretched to the horizon and not far from where they stood were the grim and dull grey statues of the Goswick graveyard concealed by tall black Victorian gates.

"Hermione is in the graveyard alone with Riddle, so if you want to find her alive then I suggest we get a move on!" Rose yelled stirring both Ron and Harry from their reverie.

The three of them then quickly stormed to the direction of the Victorian gates, fearing to find Hermione cursed to death, Harry picked his pace, with heavy footsteps he led Ron and Rose, his chest aching from heaving and his muscles contracting from pain but he continued. They were not that far away, he could almost see the details of the marble statues but as they were coming down a slope Harry lost his balance and tripped awkwardly forward. Rose laughed and muttered something that Ron couldn't quite comprehend, nonetheless Rose strategically approached Harry and attended to him but as Ron was about to follow down to the bottom of the slope, a figure in the graveyard caught his attention. It was Voldemort coming out of a relatively new mausoleum, his tall and pale figure wildly trashing around. His long hands tight around his crown as if he was attempting to crush with it all his might. Ron felt as if all the courage and blood in him has drained away- seeing Voldemort display insanity to that extent was not normal… he felt as if his soul has felt him, he could not move nor speak. As Ron watched Voldemort tear an empty coffin piece by piece Ron has already calculated the chances of them being alive if they were to confront him then and there- the chances of them living were slim, infact it was less than a millimetre slim.

Suddenly Voldemort met Ron's gaze and only then did he react to everything that was happening, Ron whispered Harry and Rose's name very softly that even they can't hear his plea. His cries were useless, and so he ducked hoping Voldemort would no longer see him but even that was stupid because he could still feel Voldemort's stare. Ron thought he was going to die that second but when he lifted his head to counteract his enemy's glare, he saw his disappearing figure. It was a lucky escape. Immediately Ron stood back up and surveyed every direction and found no dark cloaked figure approaching him.

It seemed as if the silent battle between Voldemort and Ron had gone on for hours but it was actually much shorter than he thought, he looked down on his two friends at the bottom of the slope and saw that Harry had just gotten up with Rose repairing his broken glasses.

"Tell me just exactly what you were doing Ron?" Harry muttered.

"He was there." Ron pointed towards the graveyard, "He's gone."

"What?!"

"I saw him, he was there." Ron looked at Harry frightened, "He saw me Harry…"

"Well did you see Hermione?" Harry asked sternly, angry at Ron for not letting him know of Voldemort's sighting as soon as possible.

"No."

"No?"

"I didn't see her with him."

"Well then where could she be?" Harry insisted.

"I don't know alright!" Ron answered angrily, "I told you what I saw."

"Stop arguing!" Rose interrupted, "For god sake you two are not children! If you want to know where Hermione could bloody be, just look inside the bloody graveyard! Its not hard you know, you just have to open the bloody gate!"

Rose looked at Harry and Ron annoyingly then stomped her way into the graveyard, Harry followed with Ron closely behind him. After passing the slightly open gates of the gloomy ground, the three of them immediately took their own path, searching for Hermione. Peering behind every statues and looking into each mausoleum but every step they took, the more disappointed they become. Ron came across a dug grave, the site where Voldemort himself was situated just a few minutes ago. Ron observed the empty coffin very carefully, he looked at the plain tombstone and read the name, "Astrid Goswick."

"Hmmm… what could he want from you?" he whispered to himself as if trying to solve a mysterious crime.

"Hey Harry, Rose come here!" Ron called out.

Rose immediately answered while Harry reluctantly walked towards him, "Did you find her?" he asked.

"Sorry I didn't but I saw 'him' ripping this apart." Ron kicked at the dishevelled coffin, "I think it's suppose to be Astrid Goswick's."

Rose looked at the wooden coffin shockingly, her face displaying confusion, "Its empty."

"Look, we haven't got time to amuse ourselves with an empty coffin, we're here to find Hermione." Harry interrupted rudely already taking a step away and returning to his aim.

"This **is** the reason why Hermione was here." Rose shook her head with disbelief, "I don't understand, why is this coffin empty!"

"Maybe because Astrid staged her own death?" Ron muttered innocently.

"No!" Rose wandered around, she started rubbing her fingers together and pacing back and forth, "She can't have. I saw her body, I touched those cold cheeks, I was in her funeral! It was her I saw in that coffin…"

"Look Rose, I don't know what you're on about but I think You-Know-Who feels the same way you do right now." Ron muttered then looked at Harry as if asking for help to tear away Rose's thought of Astrid Goswick and then as if it came to him as a revelation, "Wait what did you just say?!"

"I didn't say anything!"

"You said you were there- in Astrid Goswick's funeral." as if out of nature, Ronald Weasley reached for the wand in his pocket, "How could you be there when you're clearly not that old?"

"I didn't say I was."

Harry noticed the commotion between Ron and Rose and so out of interest he approached the two figures watching the expressions on their faces change and the sharpness of the tone they directed at each other. He felt as if it was not his argument to win or lose, he was a mere audience incapable of following their arguments since he was not there at the beginning of it all.

"You did!" Ron revealed his wand in a flash and pointed it at Rose, his grip steady and straight, his expression contorting from disgust, "You… this must be a trap isn't it? You're one of them!"

"Them?" Rose gaped at his words, "Are you implying that I associate with those beastly, foul and rotten beings who call themselves humans?"

"You were the one who got us caught, why would anyone do that unless you work for You-Know-Who!"

"You forgot that I got you out of that dark hole those Malfoys call a manor."

"Only to lead us to another trap!" Ron walked forward his wand pointing at Rose however his eyes wandered the grounds of the graveyard trying to spot dark cloaked figures but there was none, "Where's Hermione! I know you know where she is!"

"Bloody hell Ron!" Rose shouted, her eyes eyeing at his wand, "I don't know where Hermione had gone and for the last time I don't associate with those lowly scums! Now put that away before I take it from you!"

Then as if from the shadows Harry emerged finally finding his voice to speak, "Ron, put it away." he looked at Rose intensely and said, "she's telling the truth."

Ron took his time lowering his wand, he was still not fully convinced about the intension behind Rose's every action. He looked at her with detest, his despise almost burning right through her. He turned around ever so slowly and walked towards a finely carved tombstone, his back now facing both Harry and Rose as if ashamed of his previous display then as he watched the dead leaves be blown by the wind he scoffed loud enough for Harry to hear, "She might be telling the truth now but she has certainly told more lies than a normal person is capable of."

Harry ignored Ron's remark and turned his full attention to Rose. Calmly he placed both his hands in his side pockets, he straightened his back to add to the impression of his figure towering over her's, then he started questioning expecting that her answers only consisted truth and not a hint of lie, "Did you not lead us to a false information that you were a witch incapable of producing magic?"

"I did."

"Why."

"Harry I feel as you are a lawyer interrogating an innocent victim." smiled Rose her voice hinting fear.

"Just answer the question." Harry said firmly, his tone suggesting that he had the upper hand.

"I did it because… because I know Hermione would be more charitable to those she sees less fortunate."

"Why would you do that."

"I needed to get closer to her."

"What for?"

"Hermione Granger is almost a spitting image of Astrid Goswick, she's Tom Riddle's love interest-"

"Tom Riddle never had a love interest."

"He did Harry, believe me he did." Rose sighed as if preparing herself for a long story, "If I never got close to Hermione then I never could've convinced her to play Astrid and having Astrid beside us, the greater our chances of killing Riddle at a quicker rate. You see, she is like his kryptonite. Harry forgive me for getting you caught but I had an intention."

Harry interrupted, "You wanted to see whether he would fall for your plan."

Rose smiled, her lips widening from joy, "And he did!"

"You risked Hermione's life!" Ron yelled from behind Harry.

"I knew he would never kill her." Rose answered calmly.

"He might not but that crazy Bellatrix almost did!" Ron called back his voice filled with loathing, "and if you **ever** pull a stunt like that ever again, you'll be seeing the end of my wand!"

"Ron!" Harry roared.

Suddenly there was an awkward silence looming the air around Ron, Harry and Rose. Harry understood the concern Ron had for Hermione, half of him was glad to see Ron acting the way he did but the other half of him completely disagreed. He was ashamed of his poor behaviour and wished he stayed quite to keep the questioning with Rose smooth with no interruption. He turned his attention back to Rose and felt the change of direction in the wind.

"I suppose you want to know about Astrid." Rose said calmly, "First of all, I want to tell you that I am a seer Harry." she confessed, "That's how I know where you were and when is the right time to come for your rescue."

Although Ron might not look as if he payed any attention to Harry and Rose, he listened quite attentively to every word and every sigh Rose let out. Both his ear focused on the conversation between Harry and Rose, but his eyes moved about aimlessly.

"I knew Astrid from my past, she was the last person to ever own this estate and at school she was titled as Riddle's equal… Ron did hear right- I was at her funeral. I might not look it but I am much, much older than you think." Rose admitted sighing heavily.

"But how-"

"Harry, witches and wizard produce magic, we create potions and materials that could make us immortals. If living forever is our limit then temporary youth is certainly within our boundaries."

As Ron listened to Rose's words, his mind drifted to what was around him, flourishing trees were scattered messily around and yellow flowers were starting to bloom in the Goswick graveyard. His gaze roamed further and further then he remembered Voldemort emerging from a new mausoleum. Then suddenly a voice in his head yelled, _"If the last owner of this estate died almost fifty years ago then how is it possible that a new mausoleum is standing in an unowned graveyard?"_

Ron's gaze wandered around the graveyard looking for the mausoleum and there he found it hidden behind a tree. Not wanting to be noticed, Ron pulled himself from the ground and very quietly walked away from Harry and Rose. He was within its heavily shadowed boundary by making a little less than twenty steps. Ron found magical candles held by a heavy chain chandelier above a couple's effigy. The marble was smooth and pleasing to touch, he squinted trying to make out who they were and once he charmed the tip of his wand to create light his eyes widened with shock. Ronald Weasley was looking at a marble version of Hermione with long and more tameable hair mourning the death of a young man who he could not recognize.

"What the bloody hell is this?" his whisper bounced against the stone walls of the mausoleum, "Hermione is not dead."

_Wait… didn't Rose say Hermione is almost a spitting image of that Astrid Goswick girl? Then this must be Astrid Goswick and that… that man must be Tom Riddle! Astrid's coffin must be empty because her body is in here, but I still don't understand__… there is no sense in digging for someone's corpse and putting it in a newer one unless the old grave __**was**__ stagged and she only really died recently- but why the hide? And if Tom Riddle grew up as Voldemort then why is there a marble figure of him when he is still clearly alive? These figures are only supposed to replicate the faces of those inside the coffin…_

"Arg! This is doing my head in!"

Ron traced the smooth edge of the elevated surface with his fingers, he looked at the couple's faces one more time and stepped back, he chanted a spell to push open the heavy cover of the grave but it seemed to have repelled it. As he was about to try another spell, a strong gush of wind in the mausoleum roughly pushed him to the thickly shadowed corner of the cold and eerie space and before he could even utter another word, a short and thin feminine figure appeared standing before the marble effigy, her back turned to Ron.

She revealed her wand and said "Perfringo!"

Then just like a thin champagne glass falling heavily to a concrete ground Astrid Goswick and Tom Riddle's replicas shattered in bits, the pieces of the once beautiful marble art now a worthless pile of dirt, however the cover amazingly remained intact. The sight of the shattered effigy seemed to have satisfied the aim of the calm figure before Ron because once she witnessed that none of their Astrid or Riddle's marble figure remained, she vanished in thin air, not leaving a trace of who she could be.

It was the soft, pleasing whispers of the wind chimes that stirred Hermione in bed. With her eyes wide open, she witnessed as if for the first time, the striking beauty of spring. Through the open clear glass panes she felt the cool air danced with the greenest leaves, the scent of lilac, roses, tulips and lavender swaying with elegance, its smell so sweet that it tingled her tongue with delight. It was the boisterous yet soothing colours of the rich garden that lifted her to her feet, ignoring her aching muscles, she stood- producing not a sound, moving not an inch- embracing the new sense of tranquillity she had never felt before, she felt herself being introduced to a new world. Then suddenly as she was about to immerse herself in the peaceful atmosphere, the door swung open revealing an old woman.

"Oh you're awake."

From what Hermione could see, the woman was about seventy years old. Her hair was grey but none the less it moved with elegance, her face portrayed distress and her eyes reddened from what Hermione can only assume as pain of some sort. Although the woman seemed to be troubled, she smiled at Hermione with warmth.

"Good afternoon."

"Afternoon." Hermione greeted casually, almost forgetting she had a voice.

"I brought this," she said offering a sleeveless floral dress and a pair of used shoes to Hermione, "I thought you might want to get out of those rags your generation call clothing." she smiled.

Hermione's eyes drifted on her clothes and smiled when she saw dirt plastered across her shirt and pieces of grass stuck of her trousers, it did look like overused rags, "Thank you." was all she could utter as she accepted the old woman's offering.

"The bathroom is at the end of the corridor to your left." she paused and looked into Hermione's eyes longingly, "Take your time. I'll explain everything over lunch."

She was gone as quickly as she came. Hermione found herself once again alone in the room and only then did she notice that it was someone else's. The walls were covered by newspaper articles and the mint green carpet below her was covered with coffee stains, candle wax and bread crumbs. Hermione stepped closer to the wall of newspaper article and found that some of it dated back to the late 1940s, most of it contained information about Voldemort and Hermione with Harry.

Then when Hermione remembered what had happened earlier, she raced outside the room forgetting that she was still clinging onto the dress and the pair of shoes the old woman has given her and anxiously looked for the kind stranger. The house was small which made it much easier for Hermione to find the old woman whose figure stood in the small kitchen carefully setting the table for three.

"Who are you!" Hermione said pointing her wand towards the elderly, her hand quivered due to panic. She knew that the old woman meant no harm, but when she saw the articles posted in that room, she felt the strangest chill in her gut.

"My name is Olivia." she paused looking worriedly at Hermione, "Have I done something that would cause you to point that stick at me?"

"Why do you keep articles about us in your room?" Hermione asked still with sturdiness.

"Oh those… I'm sorry dear but you'll have to wait for Mildred, that's her room." she smiled as she added the finishing touches of the table setting.

"Mildred? Is she the one that saved me?"

"Yes. See darling we mean no harm." Olivia walked towards Hermione then placed her hand on the surface of Hermione's back and very gently guided her to the bathroom, "Now, go and get yourself ready for lunch."

After showering, Hermione looked at herself wearing the knee length floral dress on the mirror, she almost laughed at the sight. She has never seen herself dress like an actually girl ever since the dance in her fourth year. She brushed her hair ever so gently thinking about the mystery of Mildred's obsession about Voldemort and herself. Hermione carefully placed the hairbrush on the table beside the sink before walking out of the bathroom with her wand tightly secured around her grip. She muttered a spell to dry her hair as she wandered along the corridor.

The house was quite rustic, the walls weren't plastered with cement instead it displayed the pleasing works of the stonemasons, and the old beams above crowded the ceiling. Hermione noticed it wasn't a normal house, if ever it were then there would be family photographs proudly displayed along the corridor, but it was bare. The atmosphere was cold and not at all welcoming, she could smell the age of the carpeted floor and the scent of the burning magical candles on a the only plain and simple chandelier in the entire elongated room. Although every room in the house that she has seen or passes seems to be empty it still felt congested due to the size of the entire house and no matter how sunny and warm it becomes outside, the bitterness and the bleakness of the interior would never lift because hardly any light gets distributed around.

Hermione have come to the end of the corridor and reached the living room. It was small with only a couple of big and cosy arm chairs and a dark brown coffee table at the centre of the room. By the corner, away from the kitchen a piano sat housing quite a pile of dust. Walking into this house made Hermione feel as if she was back in the olden days where there was no electricity- the whole time she's been there, she has not seen a television, radio, telephone or electric lights, everything seems to run magically.

"Oh well don't you look fantastic." smiled Olivia through the open door, "Come, lunch is ready."

Hermione had not fully trusted Olivia but she couldn't quite ignore her empty stomach and so she entered the kitchen and saw the dining table filled with food. She sat down joyful at the sight, she was not usually this easy to please but she has not eaten in the past 24 hours and the so called meal she has been preparing for Harry, Ron and herself ever since they left Hogwarts was not the most delicious ones.

"Eat up!" Olivia smiled as she sat down across Hermione.

While they were eating Hermione noticed the gracefulness in everything Olivia does. The way she reached for her utensils, the way she hold her glass and the way she keeps her napkin on her lap. She seems to have come from a wealthy family who treasured etiquette- a familiar trait to those prosperous individuals.

"Have you always lived in these conditions?" asked Hermione after sipping a mouthful of water to clear her throat.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, you seem to acquire traits typical for rich people yet you live in a gloomy place like this." Hermione said looking at overused pots.

"Oh…" Olivia smiled, she had stopped eating and looked at Hermione as if recalling the memories of when she was younger, "Yes you could say I was wealthy, I lived in a quite spacious estate out in the country. My house was nothing like this, it was enormous and it filled with light and colour with towering windows and walls decorated with painting and gilded with shiny gold… it was an art of itself."

"What happened?"

"A tragedy." Olivia sighed heavily then continued, "I had to leave it all behind and in order to do that I had to fool everybody…"

"You had to fool everybody?"

"I had to stage my own death- all because of a request… My friends and family grieved over an empty coffin and now that I am actually dying, I would have no one but my dear Mildred to grieve over me."

As soon as Olivia said those words the image of Astrid Goswick's empty coffin popped up in Hermione's head, "Olivia… is that your real name?"

Hermione had every right and every evidence to suspect that Olivia could be Astrid Goswick, she was the right age and had the right character she expected Astrid to have. It would make sense except the part why would anyone request her to do what she did. As Olivia was about utter an answer, the back door swung open.

"I'm back!" the stranger greeted.

Hermione stood in shock as she watched the figure approach the table, Olivia looked at Hermione with amazement before introducing her, "Hermione, that's my granddaughter, Mildred."

"Good afternoon." Mildred smiled and sat beside Hermione, the back of her neck burning from Hermione's stare.

"Well… don't you two look like twins." Olivia smiled resuming to her lunch, "Hermione its quite alright, I would be as shock as you are now if I met my granddaughter back when I was younger."

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	7. Chapter 7

heY everyone!! Finally the next chapter is here, I'm sorry its a bit short but hopefully it will reveal a few things, i mean it should reaveal a few things. I'm sorry it took so long for me to reply, I've just been busy with my trials and studying for the HSC, but anywho, enough about me, ENJOY!!!

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**OUR LOVE IN THE PAGES OF HISTORY **

**VII**

Hermione found it hard to believe that a person looked almost identical to her, from the tone of her skin to the shape of her lips, the only real difference was the striking similarity of Olivia and Mildred's green eyes. There was no doubt in Hermione's mind that Mildred was the granddaughter of Olivia, however their characters were completely opposite. Although Olivia was welcoming and friendly, Mildred was somewhat aloof and cold- that is until Olivia was out of site. When she was not around Mildred would ask Hermione the strangest questions, most of it were concerning Voldemort.

After their lunch, Olivia pulled Mildred to the sitting room and started questioning her about where she's been, what she's been doing, Hermione heard her Olivia's voice overpowering Mildred's, "How many times have I told you not to nose around!" she whispered not wanting Hermione to hear.

"I wasn't nosing around." replied Mildred rebelliously.

"Then what have you been doing running around?" Hermione heard Olivia's voice grow louder, "Do you think I haven't been noticing, I hear your footsteps creeping out through the backdoor every night when you thought I was sleeping."

"I know there's something not right about me, I can feel it and I need to find out what it is." Mildred said, the tone of her voice lowered as she confessed to Olivia, "I've been having dreams ever since I saw his face."

"Its fear Mildred, let it go!"

"It isn't! Strangely enough I don't fear him." Mildred paused, "Why is it that whenever I question my identity you always refrain me from doing anything."

"Because I know I'll lose you." Olivia sounded as if she just surrendered, "I lost everything for you, and if I lose you, what will be the purpose of my existence."

After a long silence, Hermione heard footsteps coming out of the sitting room towards her direction, it was Mildred, her face displaying anger and defeat. She looked at Hermione as if wanting to utter something but can't. Mildred then looked back at Olivia before walking back out. Olivia's frail figure soon appeared in the kitchen where Hermione sat patiently.

"I'm sorry you heard that." Olivia smiled as she entered the kitchen, "She's been rebelling these past few months."

Hermione smiled in reply not knowing on what she should say, instead she changed the topic of the conversation, "Olivia how did you know I was at the Goswick graveyard."

"I'm a seer, and a very good one at that." Olivia smiled as she walked pass Hermione towards the sink which was full of dirty dishes.

"Did you know why I was there?" asked Hermione.

"I'm a seer not a mind reader."

"Then why did you save me."

"Would you rather be dead now?" Olivia asked turning to face Hermione.

"No, offcourse not, but what I meant was, why would you save my life when you don't even know me."

"I know enough." Olivia said before turning back to the unwashed plates, "I know that you are Hermione Granger, a friend of Harry Potter's who as prophecy foretold, the only person who can defeat Tom Riddle."

"Did you know him?" Hermione approached Olivia slowly as if wanting to release the tension that seemed to have developed throughout their conversation.

"We were at Hogwarts together." Olivia replied hinting a sense of sadness as if reminiscing her past.

Then suddenly the image of the empty coffin struck Hermione, she inspected Olivia's features thoroughly before blurting out a question, "Is your name really Olivia?"

Suddenly Olivia's face contorted, "Ofcourse!" she replied, her voice trembling. She immediately reached for the hand towel, dried her hands before quickly paced out of the kitchen and into the sitting room.

"If you did look just like Mildred when you were younger, then am I not in the right place to assume that you are Astrid?"

"Astrid is dead."

"Her name might be." Hermione then raised her voice, forgetting that Olivia is an elderly, "Why have you been hiding all these years and why did you fake your own death? What were you trying to avoid?"

"Nothing." Olivia replied sharply. She turned to face Hermione then pulled her worn out wand away from her pocket and into vicinity, "Get out!"

"Astrid you have to help us!"

"Get out!"

"I won't leave until you come with me." Hermione hesitated but before she could utter another word, Olivia already chanted a spell that brought Hermione back to the Goswick graveyard.

"Hermione!" greeted a familiar voice, it was Ron who was running frantically towards her. Behind him were Harry and Rose.

"Where were you!" Rose questioned.

Hermione ran to all three of them, took hold of Ron and Harry's hands and immediately instructed Rose to grab hold of Hermione's shoulder. "I think I found Astrid." she said before apparating.

Sooner than a second, Hermione was back at the cottage along with Harry, Ron and Rose. Nothing has changed since Hermione was forced by Olivia to leave but she felt something missing. Before explaining everything to Harry, Ron and Rose, Hermione walked in every room, inspected it from corner to corner and found that Olivia and Mildred had already gone. "Olivia!!" Hermione cried hoping for a reply, a muffle, sounds of hurrying footsteps, anything that would indicate she was still there, but to her dismay, there was only stillness in the air.

"Hermione, what's going on?" Rose asked.

Hermione pulled a chair in the kitchen, sat down and sighed disappointedly, "The coffin was empty." she said while she rubbed her forehead.

"We saw." Ron uttered under his breath.

"Mildred saved me."

"Who's Mildred?" Harry questioned.

Hermione then explained everything, from how Mildred saved her to the moment Olivia forced her out of the cottage.

"Why doesn't she want to help us?" Harry asked.

"I guess she's hiding from something." Hermione replied.

Rose looked at her with disbelief, she slowly walked out of the room and wandered off, "What wrong with her?" asked Hermione.

"She's been lying to all of us." Ron answered.

"I figured that out, strangely enough I still somewhat trust her."

"So do I." said Harry.

"You can't be serious!" Ron yelled under his breath, "The woman's a liar, she's been playing you this whole time and you still trust her?"

Harry and Hermione looked at Ron shockingly but brushed his outburst away.

"She's much older than you think." Harry continued.

"How old?" Hermione asked.

"She went to school with Riddle." Harry replied and before he could explain the rest, Rose walked back into the dimly lit kitchen, her figure thin and worn.

"I just don't understand… I haven't foreseen this." Rose whispered as she too pulled out chair to sit on.

"What have you foreseen?" asked Harry.

"I saw her death," she paused before closing her eyes and massaging her temple, "my visions are never faulty."

"Well they are this time." Ron retorted hinting hatred towards Rose.

Rose in reply eyed Ron threateningly, "I understand your feeling towards me, but you better lock that mouth shut."

Before anything else was said, Harry pulled Ron out of the room and left Rose and Hermione in the kitchen. They both looked at each other before Hermione spoke "At Malfoy's, he thought you were dead, why is that?"

Rose stood up and leaned against the sink before answering Hermione, "He mistook me for my twin sister, Finella."

"She died?"

"Yes. Shortly after Astrid's death, Finella joined the war as a nurse. She never finished school nor did last in war for more than two weeks."

"What happened?"

"Her station was bombed, nobody survived and nobody ever found her body."

"I'm sorry."

Rose smiled before leading the way out to where Harry and Ron was, "We should probably get some rest, and I have just the place to do that." Her smile was wide and cheerful.

"Where are you taking us now?" Ron asked unpleasantly.

"We're going to my country house," Rose replied, expressing joy, "I'll tell you everything once we get there."

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How did you think it was, please send a review if you have anything to say, good, bad, as long as its constructive!! Thank you for reading!!


	8. Chapter 8

YEY!!!!! I'm so happy I completed this chapter within two days!! I wanted to update this chapter as soon as possible because, this by far contains the most information out of all the chapters I've posted. Hopefully you guys will be happy with the length, I mean it is arguably longer than the previous chapter.

Anywho I'm just happy about this chapter so I hope you guys will be too, So enjoy!!

Oh by the way, THANK YOU to the guys and girl's who's tuning in and to those who has reviewed, believe me when I say, it motivated me to write faster. So please REVIEW!!!

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**OUR LOVE IN THE PAGES OF HISTORY **

**VIII**

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There was no wondering why the smile on Rose's lips was so wide. Her country house, or country manor, is big. It was so large that Hermione lost herself on the way to the dining room. It was as extravagant as the Goswick Manor, but it more alive because it was still a working manor. There were still working stables, busy kitchens and wandering maids dusting every item in the manor. The smell of curtains were as fresh as the towels in the bathrooms, and wardrobes were filled with clothing specially reserved for us. Rose had foreseen that they were to stay in the manor and so she prepared everything that was necessary, fresh clothes, new pairs of shoes and anything else they needed. From Hermione's tall windows she could see the Goswick manor from a long distant, the red brick building stood out from the extensive green grounds.

Hermione walked into the spacious dining room in a fresh pair of jeans and grey jacket. She saw Harry and Ron, smiling happily at her, "This place is huge!"

"I know." Harry smiled.

"Where's Rose?" asked Hermione.

"She's back there." Ron said pointing towards the window.

Through the window, Hermione saw Rose patting a stallion, she was conversing comically with a stable boy who seems to enjoy her company. He was young, Hermione could tell that he was more likely their age, seventeen, maybe eighteen. Rose was quite flirtatious with him, playfully slapping his arm and giggling with every word he seems to blurt out.

"Disgusting." Ron muttered.

Hermione had to agree, it was quite unpleasant seeing Rose flirt with someone so young. Physically, she might look seventeen, but truthfully, she's more than sixty years old. She must've felt the stares she was getting from Harry, Ron and Hermione when she turned to face them, her face which before expressed playfulness now filled with nothing but focus and humourless countenance. She immediately waved goodbye to the young stable boy before walking towards the glass French doors. Her long sweeping brown hair tailing behind her classic figure, Rose's appearance has dramatically changed since she cleaned up.

"I'm sorry about that." she smiled as she approached the three figures in the dining room, "why don't you sit down, I'm sure dinner will be ready very soon."

Although Ron wanted to comment on what Rose had done, he kept his mouth locked. He didn't want to argue with her, he didn't want to be pulled out of the room again, nor did he want to miss dinner, so happily and quietly Ron reached for a chair and waited patiently.

As Harry reached for a chair next to Ron, he started questioning Rose, "What do you know about Tom Riddle?"

"Not a lot but enough to help you." Rose began.

"Has he always been like this?" asked Hermione.

"Partly yes," Rose paused and looked at a distance before continuing on, "I've been at Hogwarts with Riddle from my first year to my last. My experiences with him were never pleasant."

Harry, Ron and Hermione immediately paid attention to every word Rose was saying as they all awaited for dinner.

"He's always been devious from the very moment I met him. Dark, mysterious, brilliant and I must admit quite handsome, he acquired every character that made every girl swoon his way, everyone but us offcourse." Rose smiled before continuing on, "His corrupt actions grew with every passing year. In my visions I saw him forming alliances with the most unlikely individuals, from then on it just went from bad to worst, until that one last year at Hogwarts when we were assigned potion projects. We were randomly picked and luckily I was paired with Astrid, and to my dismay, I was also paired with Tom Riddle. We were told to make our own potions, the harder and the more accurate it was, the better the marks we would be awarded." Rose laughed softly, "The two most brilliant minds of Hogwarts teamed with most clueless student that ever passed through those doors. Knowing them, I knew that they were to pick the hardest potions a student could have ever done, I was right. They both picked Invisibility Potion, the potion takes more than two months to brew and we were required to do our own bits of work."

"Invisibility potion? Isn't that banned?" Hermione asked

"Not back then." Rose replied before continuing on, "Astrid had instructed me on what I had to do, I followed it with utter most accuracy, until that one night when I was scheduled to stir and add a few ingredients, I was alone, with Astrid and Tom patrolling the halls of Hogwarts. I accidentally cut my self, leaving blood residue on the ingredients and added unnecessary amounts of fluxweeds, I never told them because we'd have to start all over again. That morning when we were to submit the project, I fell ill and left Riddle and Astrid do the demonstration of the potion's effect. I heard that the moment they drank the potion, they fell strait to the ground and was sent straight to the hospital wing."

"What happened?" asked Ron.

"It was my fault." Rose admitted, "They were sent to the Hospital wing as cold as carcass and as stiff as wood."

"Were they dead?!" Hermione asked.

"Fortunately not, Professor Dippet attended to them immediately and confirmed they were still alive. Although their bodies were not, the ghost of Hogwarts confirmed that their souls were still wandering the land." Rose sighed as she looked at Hermione intently, "Tom Riddle woke up a month later, I was there when he woke up. I felt that something had changed about him. Every night after classes he would go and visit Astrid who still laid in the hospital bed, his attitude has changed, it was strange but somewhat comforting."

"What happened to Astrid?"

"She woke up a couple of weeks later." Rose looked at Hermione intently, "Like Riddle, she too changed, but for the worse. She became distant, to me, to Finella, to anybody. From the day she woke up, she stopped caring about school or about life."

"Something must've happened between Astrid and Tom Riddle." Harry retorted.

"But I still don't understand why she faked her own death."

"And I don't understand why nobody ever told us about this, not even Dumbledore." said Hermione.

"Maybe Tom Riddle erased everyone's memory." Ron argued, "I mean, he wouldn't want anyone thinking he was vulnerable."

"That's right." Rose agreed, "But there is no way that he could have altered Professor Dumbledore's memory." she said assertively.

"I don't know if this is any way relevant, but back in the Goswick graveyard, there was a mausoleum, remember Harry, I showed it to you." Harry nodded in reply, "While I was in there, a cloaked figure appeared, I could tell from the voice that it was a girl, she blew the whole top of the raised grave."

"I was in that mausoleum." Hermione interrupted.

"Did you see who's stone figure it was?" Ron quizzed.

"No, but I remember Mildred taking a crystal ball from it."

"Well it was a figure of you and Tom Riddle."

"Its more likely to be Astrid and Tom Riddle." corrected Rose, "I wonder what could that crystal ball be?"

"Oh I almost forgot, I got this as well." Ron said revealing a glinting dagger.

"What do all these things mean?" asked Harry reaching for the dagger.

"I don't know about that dagger but the crystal ball looked abnormal." Hermione commented.

"In what way?" asked Harry.

"It was hollow, I'm not sure, but I thought I saw strands of blue or white swimming in it."

"Sounds like memories." Harry replied as he leaned forward to rest his hands on the clean table.

"If they were memories, why would anyone put them in a place like that, it can easily be accessed in to." Ron retorted.

"You're right." Rose agreed, "But what's really bugging me is that grave. Why would there be a grave of Astrid and Riddle if they were clearly alive?"

"Who would be in it?" asked Hermione.

"I'm guessing someone has prepared it for them." Harry replied.

"But who?" asked Ron and Hermione in unison.

Before anything else was said, three maids walked into the dining room, all three of them pushing freshly polished trolleys filled with plates, cutleries, glasses, juices wines and warm food. They slowly and quietly set the table for four and placed every item on each trolley onto the table before silently walking out. Hermione and Rose immediately took their seat before agreeing that all talking should be held back until their stomachs are filled with food.

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Dinner was short, immediately after the table was cleared; Harry, Ron, Hermione and Rose went straight to their bedrooms, longing to feel the soft bed sheets against their tired cheeks. Conversations wouldn't have gone long without any rest, and so they all decided that they will talk first thing the next morning. As Hermione changed into her sleeping robes she thought about the argument Mildred and Olivia had that afternoon.

_I wonder why she was questioning her identity?_

Hermione looked out her window and although it was as dark as a raven's feather, she saw the moonlight illuminating the large Goswick manor. There was something about the whole business with Astrid and Tom Riddle that seems to capture her thoughts.

_Did Tom Riddle really ever love Astrid, if he ever did then why did he turn out this way. If Olivia is Astrid, why is she hiding or w__hy did she fake her death… WHY must this whole thing be so complicated!_

As Hermione slipped into the bed and reached out to turn off the bedside lamp, a figure appeared in the corner of her luxurious room. _GREAT! I'll never be able to sleep!_ Hermione swiftly gabbed her wand before threatening the figure, "Show yourself!"

"Hermione its me, Mildred." the voice whispered softly as if afraid of waking anybody.

"Mildred how did you know I'm here?" Hermione said sitting up on the bed.

"I've got my sources."

"What are you doing here and where's Olivia?"

Mildred slowly started walking towards the bed, her clothes drowned in dust and dirt, "Olivia is fast asleep." she whispered sinisterly.

"What have you done to her?" asked Hermione as sweat began to form on her fore head. In the dark, Mildred's figure looked menacing. Her whole attire and manner gave Hermione chills which ran from the bottom of her belly to the tip of her spine.

"I slipped a few drops of sleeping draught in her tea."

Hermione sighed, _Thank god it was only sleeping draught!_ She then turned her full attention back to Mildred before blurting out, "What are you doing here?"

"I've got something to show you." Mildred said before muttering a spell that cleaned her from head to toe when she realised how dirty she was.

Hermione had completely forgotten that Mildred was a spitting image of herself, behind the dust and mud that were painted across Mildred's face and arms was a Hermione with jumping green eyes, Hermione looked deeply into Mildred's eyes and before she realised, she was being dragged into an unknown world. Hermione was now standing next to Mildred who was looking very focus on the subject at hand. Hermione felt as if she was peering into someone's memory without permission, it felt wrong but once she saw who was the figure sleeping deeply within the thick sheets of a dark bedroom, she caught herself wanting see more. Mildred turned to face Hermione, the expression on her face, serious and fixed. She looked back on the frail figure in the bed, it was Mildred, who was fast asleep and sitting beside the bed was Olivia. Although Olivia's features were the same, the same wavy brown hair sweeping past her shoulders and her glassy green eyes staring into space, the wrinkles on her face where not as visible as how Hermione saw it today.

"I'm guessing this was more than ten years ago." Mildred softly stated.

Mildred in the memory started stirring in her sleep and soon after she was awake, "Where am I?" she asked Olivia.

"You're in our house, I'm your grand mother Olivia, remember?" Olivia replied blankly as if talking to a wall.

"You're my grand mother? I don't remember you… I don't remember anything." Mildred said looking down on the floor, her brows clashing from all the questions that must have been popping in her head.

"I know, the doctor said that your accident may cause amnesia."

Hermione did not see anymore of that memory, however Mildred pulled her into another dark world, where the same event occurred: Mildred waking up not knowing who she was, where she was and who was Olivia. Again and again, Mildred showed her the same reoccurring event and with each memory Mildred presented, Olivia's wrinkles got deeper and deeper, her figure getting more deteriorated with each memory. Finally Mildred pulled her back to the bedroom where Hermione was before, its luxurious and tall walls contrasting the dark and gloomy bedrooms that they've viewed.

Hermione sat on the bed in shock of what she saw, "Did you notice anything?" Mildred questioned.

"They were all the same." Hermione paused before standing up and pacing back and forth the large dim litted room, "You waking up not knowing anything."

"I'm sure you noticed something else."

Hermione suddenly stopped, and looked at Mildred, her mouth wide like a mouse trap, her hands on her chest, then slowly she said, "With every memory we saw, Olivia aged more and more…"

"But?"

"You stayed the same, like you are now, just like Rose." Hermione continued, then like a sudden storm, she came to a realisation, "How did you get this memory."

"I acquired it while Olivia slept." although the light was dim, Hermione saw Mildred's jaw tighten, "I have a feeling that she's causing all of it."

"What? Your loss of memory?"

"She's hiding something from me, and I know that whenever I come close from knowing what it is, she would destroy every evidence I've gained just to keep me away from it again." Mildred paused and looked at Hermione pleadingly, "That's why you need to let me go with you."

"Why with us?" questioned Hermione.

Mildred's face suddenly expressed confusion, "I don't know… A strange feeling just creeps on me whenever I hear about your adventures."

"They're not adventures…" Hermione retorted as she sunk onto the bed next to Mildred, "They're the most unpleasant, scariest and our closest encounters with death, they are not adventures."

Mildred observed Hermione sympathetically and smiled, "They may be unpleasant and scary, but they could be the most thrilling, electrifying and the most heart stopping experiences you may ever come across, therefore, they are adventures."

Hermione smiled in reply, hearing Mildred speak of it that way made the concept much more easier for her to accept.

"I'm sure Harry, Ron and Rose wouldn't mind you coming with us." Hermione laughed as she almost forgot why Mildred was there in the first place.

"Thank you." replied Mildred gratefully.

"The only downside is that we will still need Olivia's help, or should I rather say, Astrid?"

"Should you rather?" Mildred smiled before sitting up, "I'll let you go, I'm sure you're tired, I'll just take care of some business and tomorrow I'll come back and show you where Olivia is hiding."

"Goodnight then." that was all Hermione said.

Mildred then stood in the middle of the room. She pulled a thin glass pendant from beneath her shirt then retrieved her wand from her right pocket. She smiled as Hermione watched her point the wand at her temple then slowly pulled a strand of memory away. Mildred then quickly tapped it into the glass, "Just in case Olivia comes after me again." she said before disappearing in thin air.

Soon after leaving Hermione, Mildred found herself in the Goswick graveyard. She's been there before, and knows where exactly she wanted to go. In the dark, she slowly and cautiously walked towards the marble mausoleum, the gargoyles guarding it looked tamer that it was that morning when she saved Hermione. Olivia made a mistake by sending her to the Goswick graveyard, because as soon and she breathed the air within its Victorian wired ground, she felt the mystery slowly unfolding before her. The mausoleum specially held something with utter most importance, and she saw a part of it when she entered the mausoleum earlier. The marble effigies were the representation of Astrid and who she assumed as Tom Riddle. Now as she walked passed its gates, she saw that the candles were still lit however the effigies were destroyed and turned into dust. Although the sight was not as she expected it to be, she was no less than disappointed. Mildred was not in the mausoleum to gaze at the wonderfully sculptured effigies, she visited the Goswick graveyard to see what was within that grave which seemed to have to mystified everyone.

She placed her hands on the edge of the raised grave's heavy lid, and without struggling, Mildred smoothly and easily pushed the lid away, just enough to see what was within. With eyes and mouth wide open she stared in shock at the figures who rested peacefully within the thick walls of the grave. As she was about to step back and apparate to announce Hermione her newly found discovery, she felt a hard blow on the back of her neck and soon after her vision deteriorated. Before completely losing consciousness, she heard Olivia's voice whisper, "I told you to stop nosing around."

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OOOOHHHHHH.... What did you guys think? You know when I was writing this chapter, I didn't have an original plan of revealing what was inside the grave but then OH WELL, its done and said so I can't really do anything about it. Cause if I didn't include that then what would've been the cliff hanger of this chapter.

Anywho, what do you guys think of the characters, I'm probably sending you guys mixed messages, if I am, then GREAT cause thats what I intend to do.

THANKS FOR READING, PLEASE REVIEW!!


	9. Chapter 9

_**I KNOW ITS BEEN AGES SINCE I UPDATED!!! IM REALLY SORRY, IVE ONLY JUST STARTED UNI- WEEEEE!! LOL. anywho i think this chapter should be promising.. so please read and review!!! i'd love to hear what you think!! GOOD-brilliant, BAD?- no worries I JUST WANT SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE... gosh would really love to write more in the future but i completed this after a few hours straight siting infront of my computer cause i know that if i leave it later then it will not get done. so....... ENJOY!!!**_

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**OUR LOVE IN THE PAGES OF HISTORY **

**IX**

The first sensation she felt was the cool crisp icy feeling running from the tip of her toes and fingers to the surface of her back, it made her shiver. As her body trembled underneath a thin blanket, her consciousness grew slowly and the first sight she saw was the rising sun, its illuminating glow raining through the thin glass panes into the small lilac room. Her head felt like rocks weighting her down onto the thick, dense pillow and her arms and legs ached from what she suspected as cuts and bruises. She grabbed onto the spring mattress underneath her and with all her might she pushed herself up only to find out that like her head, her body was like a dead weight, she was immobilised due to something… she opened her mouth ever so slowly as if fearing to break her jaw and yelled, "HELP!!" and to her surprise, her voice bounced loudly against the walls and out through the slightly open door. Within only seconds a frail yet sturdy frame appeared, her face was unfamiliar to the figure imprisoned on the bed. Her first reaction was unmistakable- there was a hint of hostility in her eyes and her movements, her face was likable yet actions were undeniably cold, this however quickly changed. Her browns lifted, her eyes glowed like two lamps at night and her cheeks heightened to reveal her yellow tinted teeth.

"Mildred, your awake!" she burst with happiness as she approached Mildred, her positive attitude only just for show because as soon as she reached the bed, her eyes fixated down at Mildred's paralysed figure, from then she established superiority, its silent declaration so loud and resounding that it seemed as if it was announced to the world. Mildred watched her pull the chair from the corner of the room to her bed so smoothly and almost effortlessly as if to proclaim strength despite her age. Then she observed Mildred from head to toe as if she was on her death bed- it was a long and painstaking analysis, Mildred felt judged, belittled and completely helpless to all the possibilities of being harmed or worst- killed, yet she just sat and stared.

"I can't move." that was all Mildred could mutter. Not that throat ran dried but her thoughts were not clear and she was unsure whether this woman was there to help her or to harm her.

"You're temporarily paralysed." she said plainly and tonelessly as if she cared none at all about my situation.

Mildred glanced at her entirely confused… she was nice yet she wasn't, "Who are you?"

"I'm your grandmother, Olivia, remember?" she said now smiling as if being lifted by the purest of thoughts of joys, yet joyful thoughts were not the ones that filled Mildred's mind as a terrible burning sensation clenched against her chest. She was suffering mentally but she felt her face relaxing more and more as the sensation increased- it was as if her body was enchanted to counteract the pain and nor did her mind allow her to announce the agony pricking wildly against her skin.

Mildred's voice remained locked as she battled the searing pain mentally, Olivia's expression contorted as if questioning her unusual silence, "You must be confused…"

"ah uh."

"You have amnesia as a result of magic gone wrong."

"Magic?" Mildred questioned as the pain seemed to blur, "Magic is real?"

"Ofcourse." Olivia smiled forcibly, "You're a witch." she continued then placed her hand on Mildred's shoulder. Although she was paralysed her senses were still alive, Mildred could smell the fresh spice of rich dirt underneath Olivia's fingernails- she didn't know what to make of it, whether her grandmother was a keen gardener or she dug something… dug to what? To retrieve or to hide???

Mildred flocked her eyes onto Olivia's hand and finally asked to rest her suspicions, "You've been digging?"

Olivia quickly retrieved her hand, "My… although you've forgotten your grandmother's name, your mind remains sharp and observative." She smiled trying to avoid the answer to Mildred's question. She suddenly stood up and walked to the door, "You must be starving, I'll fetch you breakfast and we can talk more about this."

Like before Mildred was alone again, yet this time something was slowly changing in her… the discomfort clinging on her chest seemed to have become a rejuvenating liquid running with her blood rushing from her core to the rest of her body through the tunnels of her veins and into the thousands of capillaries housed in her muscles. Soon after she felt arms becoming stronger, her head lighter and her legs enliven with joy as her toes started to wriggle. She pushed then thin fabric sheet away and saw that she was wearing a creamy silk night gown-a completely inappropriate sleeping attire for a chilly morning. Mildred then pushed her own self off the bed and took a better look around small lilac room. It was unfamiliar to her, she hated the colour, and the plain furnishings were not to her liking. If Olivia told her that it was her room, she would've never believed her. Then at the thought of Olivia, the burning feeling stung even much stronger this time than before, Mildred clutched her chest trying to relieve the pain and was surprise to find that it wasn't bare. Underneath her clothing was a thin glass oval shaped hollow pendant suspended by an equally plain chain. She held it in her hands and like resounding thunder angrily shaking a nearby house, her forgotten memories shifted from the reflective object, to the intangible space and into her mind quicker than a ball falling to the ground. The last thing she remembered was being with Hermione telling her about Olivia's cunning deception. Then from ignorance and confusion, anger formed. Mildred's blood ran with rage as she waited for Olivia's return- finally there will be a proper confrontation.

*

Hermione slowly opened her eyes to expect the welcoming warmth of the sun against her face yet it was the opposite. A cold breeze brushed the strands of hair away from her cheeks and through the open window the threatening dark clouds dominated the sky. Hermione strained to see her surroundings, it was dark and everywhere were shadows of what she assumed were colossal four poster beds. From that instant, Hermione knew where she was, for the rich and heavy velvet blanket felt familiar against her touch- she was back in Hogwarts, to be specific, she was in Gryffindor girl's dormitory. She lifted herself off the bed and was already readily dressed for a cold night. Her body was moving on its own, taking her out of the dormitory, into the common room and into the pitch black, cold and long corridors of Hogwarts. She wandered quietly for a while, her footsteps so light as to not disturb crawling ants and although there was no hint of light along her way, her footsteps were precise and calculated that not once did she hit a wall or even brushed against a painting or statue. Hermione soon after reached the plight of stairs to the gigantic swinging pendulum of the clock tower, the closer and closer she got to the exit of the building the slower and more cautious Hermione became. She even stopped at one point only to hang on tightly against the stone railing, although Hermione was seeing the event unfolding before her, it was not her actions.

Before realising it Hermione found herself standing underneath the pendulum, looking pass the fountain ahead she could see the silhouette of the Forbidden Forest calling her as if begging for her presence. In the air she could smell the rain coming and lightning show had already started, it would not be long till the castle starts to shake from the resounding thunder. Her feet were urging to go but before taking another step, she patted her pocket to make sure that "it" was there, and it was, so not a second sooner Hermione started walking calmly reassuring herself and mentally preparing of what was to come. Then once she was reassured and prepared her calm walks turned to jogs then soon into running, trying to desperately catch a full speed train. Through the courtyard she felt soft rain drops falling then once she reached the extensive grounds to the Forbidden Forest, more rain dropped, heavier and blunter this time, it immediately drenched her hair and soaked her clothing right though to the core. Nonetheless Hermione kept running pass the first like of trees and into a more dense part of the forest, were beds of canopies hung above the trees.

"Miss Goswick." A somewhat familiar voice called from behind her. Hermione stopped and saw a man she hasn't seen for a while. "Professor Dumbledore…" her voice muttered. And so Hermione finally came to the conclusion that she was in Astrid Goswick's body, possibly seeing her memory. Although Hermione could not speak, her mind still buzzed with unanswered questions.

"_From what I've heard from Rose, Astrid was killed in the Forbidden Forest, could it be that Dumbledore killed her?! If so why? Why would he kill her? FOR WHAT!?" _

Then soon she suspected why, Hermione or rather Astrid pulled the bulge from her pocket and revealed it to Dumbledore. It was the plainest glass ball, it looked frail and aged but Dumbledore showed great interest in it- _"it must be important! Could it be a horcrux?!" _– Astrid extended her arm and presented Dumbledore the sphere and as soon as it was within his grasp, he swiftly revealed his wand-

"Hermione!!!" she heard a voice calling, "Hermione, please help me!! Wake up, please wake up!!" then a couple of cold soft hand grasp her arms and started shaking her.

The shaking stopped as soon as she responded with the slightest sound, the voice called again, "I've done something bad!" and with those words Hermione jumped up to her feet only to see Mildred's stained cheeks.

"What is it?" Hermione asked as she grabbed her wand from the bedside table. She waited patiently for Mildred's reply but there were only tears flowing like waterfalls down her cheeks, "Well tell me what it is!" she repeated, preparing herself for the worst, but not can prepare her for what was to come.

"I've killed someone!" Mildred said shamefully, "Look!" she cried as she raised her hands, "…. Someone else's blood… I didn't mean it I swear!"

Hermione was suddenly mute. She have seen people dying, people killing other people but to see someone like Mildred kill- it was different, she seemed to treasure the meaning of life and for her to kill another human being was beyond her capabilities. Nonetheless she replied, "Who was it?"

"…Olivia.."

"Olivia!!!" Hermione too started tearing, the only person that could possibly help defeat Voldemort has died- suddenly Hermione felt all hopes drain away. Before she could move another muscle, possibly to slap Mildred the door burst open. Ron, Harry and Rose bolted into the room and yelled in unison, "What's wrong?!" and it all hit them, there was two Hermione in the room. They all stood dumbfounded.

Hermione ignored them and turned to back to Mildred, "Could she still be alive?!"

"I don't know… blood just started flowing out of her and I just panicked…" cried Mildred.

"Take us to her! She might still be alive." Hermione commanded for the rest of them to hang on to Mildred which they all did in a hurry but not sure why. Then questions started flying:

"Whose alive?"

"Blood?"

"What happened???" but the last audible voice that was heard before they all travelled was Rose's, her question, bringing the three of them in silence, "Astrid, is that you!?"

After the uncomfortable apparation they arrived in a cosy little living room, everything was neatly arranged, it was richly decorated and well lit by natural light. Then again questions started pouring of each of their mouth.

"What's happening?" Ron asked standing in the middle of the room as he watched Mildred lead the way out followed by Rose and Hermione while Harry followed in complete ignorance, "I don't know Ron! Just follow them. They seem to know what's going on!" Harry yelled across the room.

"What happened Mildred?" asked Hermione but there was no answer.

"Tell me what happened!" she repeated but Mildred was too occupied with her own thoughts.

Mildred could see the blood, _"she's just around the corner... please be alive…" _she kept saying to herself as if trying to get rid of the guilt but before she could turn to the corner Rose stopped her, she grabbed her arm tightly which caused Mildred to swing around, "Let go off me!!!!" yelled Mildred but there was no letting go, instead Rose slapped Mildred's cheek so firmly. Hermione, Harry and Ron watched in amusement at the two. They saw Mildred's reaction, her nose flared as if a dragon flaring flames, then she dug her two front teeth on her lower lip, "ASTRID!!!" Rose embraced her affectionately but when she saw the figure lying at the bottom of the stairs she broke her embrace. Her heart clench and she felt her intestines twisting like ropes when she saw the twitching figure, her grey hair swimming in her own blood, her mouth drowning in her own saliva. Hermione watched in fascination and sadness as she saw Rose approach Olivia's dying body with so much affection- they were only strangers to each other after all. After a moment of shock and recovery, Hermione ran to Olivia and to see if she needed aid but before she could get to her, Rose was already there, embracing the frail figure, she rocked both their frames back and forward as if cradling a baby, "You'll be alright…"

"Rose…" Hermione whispered offering her arms for Olivia.

Rose stared at her and cried, "No." her lips quivered, "She's my sister…my twin…" she then turned to face Olivia's shining green eyes and muttered her real name, "Finella… don't die on me…"

Finella's eyes tore away from Rose's and to Mildred's, "…graveyard…"

"Shh…." Rose cried as she saw her sister's life slowly drain away, "Don't speak, just rest… I don't want you to hurt…"

Finella's gazed returned to Rose and with so much effort she muttered, "…I'm-sorry…" before her heart stopped beating, slowly her frail and wrinkled body became cold and stiff as the inevitable death finally caught up to Finella…

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**SO... DID YOU GUYS EXPECT THAT!!!!????? more will be explained at a later chapter...R&R!!!**


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